


Operation: MONARCH

by Gamewizard2008



Series: Kids Next Door Gameverse [44]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Bleach, Cardcaptor Sakura, Codename: Kids Next Door, Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Crossover, Demons, F/M, Fear, Firebending & Firebenders, Hyrule - Freeform, Monarch - Freeform, Pirates, Royalty, Sheikah Culture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-08-22 12:17:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 29,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16597772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gamewizard2008/pseuds/Gamewizard2008
Summary: Story 10 of the Newborn Saga, Part 3 of the Emperor Prequels, also called theNew Hyrule Arc. Fearing that she is growing too soft and merciful, Lord Mandy is having a midlife crisis. To resolve this crisis, she decides to take over a planet. In the process, Mandy learns to face her fear and see the true power of kindness.





	1. The Conquest of Queen Mandy

**Welcome to the 3rd Emperor Prequel story! This one will be centered around Mandy McKenzie, one of the Gameverse’s longest-running characters who are still relevant!**

“Jareeeeed!”

**No, not you, Mandy. X,3 This one’s an evil queen and you’re a precious princess.**

****

**_

Chapter 1: The Conquest of Queen Mandy

_**

****

**_Boogey Coast_ ; four years ago**

The flames of the sinking ship rose to the dark sky. It happened in the dead of night: the phantom vessel preyed on the unsuspecting sailors, awaiting their chance to devour them in sapphire embers. Now as their souls ascend to the heavens, only one survivor remains.

Eight-year-old Himiko was dragged aboard the dark vessel, her vision blotted by demonic hands clasping at her. They left her in the back of a cell, shivering. Aside from the corpses of demons, she was all alone in the darkness. For five hours, she sat in despair, until a green demon with long black hair, resembling a hippy, walked in. “Captain Mandy says she will spare your life, but in return, you must help with the chores. You’ll obey all the crewmen’s orders, except for ones that will directly endanger your life. If you work hard, you’ll also be given food and water.”

“I-I-I want my mom and dad…”

“Sorry, but the captain says you will remain here indefinitely. If you wish to be taken home, you’ll have to ask her directly.”

“W-Will you take me to her?”

“Alright. But you’ll have to do the talking.”

The demons passed horrid glances to Himiko as Creeper led her upstairs. They smelled her despair and wanted a taste of it. Himiko stayed close to Creeper, believing he was the safest person to be around. “Okay. She’s in here.” Creeper stopped beside a door with the crew’s Jolly Roger: the skull of a frowning, scowling girl with horn-shaped blonde hair. Himiko could already feel an unsettling air. That was before she opened the door.

It felt like a hurricane was trying to blow her back, except it was not wind, but Fear itself. Within all that black and red, a face peered at Himiko, sensually licking its big grinning teeth. If Himiko set foot in the room, that mouth would lick her dry. “Mmmmmm!” Sobbing, she ran down the stairs and into the lower cabin.

Creeper walked after her, finding her crying against the wall. “Start in here.” The demon dropped a pale and mop beside her before leaving her be.

Himiko had been the Boogey Pirates’ slave for four months. She rarely spoke and did as she was told, cleaning toilets with filth whose noxious scent could kill, feeding the sea monsters who would try to eat her, and preparing food for the captain’s banquets with her Commanders. When not working, she was forced to remain in her cell, but once a day every few days, Creeper would gather up crumbs and leftovers for her to eat. At those times, she would ask him, “M-May I please speak to the captain?”

She made a bit more progress each time. On the 2nd visit, she moved her toes into Mandy’s cabin, but retreated in a flash. The 3rd visit, she put her foot in before running. Then it was half a leg. Then a whole leg. She stepped on the floor of the cabin. Next, she started with the other leg. After a month and a half, her whole body could enter the cabin. But the ravenous face still awaited her. The Creeper assured her that it was an illusion and wouldn’t hurt her, but it didn’t soothe her fears. It took a lot of strength to merely get her foot in the door, but she would need more to get her feet over to Lord Mandy.

“It’s kind of sad, really.” Commander Azula said during a banquet. “My brother hasn’t learned an ounce of firebending ever since our battle. All his proud talk about honor and personal growth and he’s barely learned a thing. He barely resisted when we took over Ember Island.”

“Aye, strong warriors are a rarity in this day and age.” Commander Cortez, a skeleton in a black trenchcoat, replied. “You should’ve seen the pirates I clashed with 1,000 years ago.”

“Hey, who’s that kid?” asked Cindy Cortix, the captain’s daughter.

Himiko flinched, realizing she’d been noticed, and went back to scrubbing the deck. She could still feel their glares on her, so she restrained on looking up. Mandy was at the top of the stairs, and Himiko could still feel her powerful aura, yet the Commanders were completely unphased. They were clearly adapted to Mandy’s presence and did not fear her as much. Even on a casual dinner, she was still too scary to approach.

Himiko steadily built up her courage for four months, her same pair of clothes growing more ragged, and her body becoming filthier. This was barely any different than the ship she had been on before. She had been taken from servitude and forced into more servitude. Would Lord Mandy even set her free if she asked her? If she actually cared, she would have done so by now. That’s what Himiko was afraid of, and it was that very fear that pushed her away from the captain. She may just have to accept the fact she would always be a slave. And when she accepted this inevitability, her fear dwindled.

She walked into Mandy’s cabin once again. Himiko had buried her emotions and concealed her fear, fully prepared for Mandy’s cold response. She walked slowly, past the mouth’s teeth, only tensing a little when it licked her. But once she was past, she was at Lord Mandy’s back. The captain drunk a bottle of wine as she focused on her videogame. “C-C-C-Captain Mandy…”

“Sigh… What?”

“I-I-I…I want to go home. I wanna see Mom and Dad…”

She drunk the wine again. After seven seconds, she put it down and replied, “Go back to your cell.”

The very response she expected. “’kay.” Himiko bowed her head and walked out. As expected, Mandy’s heart was as cold as her aura. As they said, she cared for no one but herself. She wouldn’t care if Himiko died in her cell. She was already rotting away as it is. And if she died, they could easily kidnap another child. Besides, Himiko’s family had little money. These pirates couldn’t even demand a ransom.

Another month passed and Himiko lay half-dead in her cell after a day’s work. Just as she prepared to drift to sleep, Creeper opened her cell. “Oi, get up. The captain wants you.”

Curious, Himiko groggily stood and followed him. Lord Mandy was wearing a dreary indigo raincoat with sunglasses, despite the sky being cloudy and gloomy. “Get on.” she ordered. Himiko climbed on a boat with a Bokoblin, and Mandy joined as it was lowered to the sea. The Bokoblin rowed it to the nearby shore, no sound but the brushing of waves. Then, when at shore, Mandy and Himiko stepped off. The captain directed her into the back seat of a shabby gray car. The child obeyed, and Mandy took the driver’s seat.

They drove in darkness for five hours. Himiko stayed in silence, too nervous to even fiddle with her fingers. She wasn’t as afraid of her as before, but she wondered why Mandy was taking her this far. Perhaps she was planning to sell Himiko for a hefty amount. Still, how much of a profit could she make with such a worn-out slave.

Mandy parked the car on the outskirts of a village. Himiko silently and obediently followed her. She no longer cared where or why Mandy was taking her. Himiko had nowhere else to go, so any attempt of rebuttal or rebellion was pointless. Still, she couldn’t help but feel this place was… familiar. Why, this neighborhood almost looked like…

“Okay, do any of these look like your house?” Mandy asked. Himiko gasped lightly. Upon careful observation, she recognized it as her hometown. A faint morning light was shining over the horizon. Himiko wandered around before spotting what was no doubt her house. She jogged up to it and knocked on the door.

After a few minutes, a chubby man answered, along with his wife. “H-Himiko!”

“Mom! Dad!”

The parents embraced their daughter, finally warming her after five months of cold and darkness. They didn’t care of her filth and stench at this moment, they only wished to comfort her and welcome her home. “I’m so glad you’re finally back. How did you escape? Did someone…”

“Yeah! It was…” Himiko turned, expecting Lord Mandy to be there. The dreaded captain hadn’t followed her. Himiko led her parents outside the village, but neither Mandy or her distant parked car were around. It was as if she had left without even confirming if Himiko found her home.

“Sigh…” Mandy sighed, making the long journey back across the road. “Damn government slave-traders… making me waste all this time for an ungrateful brat.”

**A few years afterward; December, 2035**

_“Cap’n Mandy may act like a devil, but she be a soft little wench, she is!” Captain Slag said on Pirate Radio._

_“She didn’t earn the Emperor position at all!” Baron K. Rool said. “She scared the media into giving her the title. Although, I believe her relatives in the Kids Next Door attributed to the fact. They were already formidable back in those days, she probably used them to make her seem more powerful.”_

_“Ah, Lord Mandy’s all bark and no bite.” Augustus Fizzuras said. “She’s a big ol’ softy! She even helped me defend the_ Noah _.”_

These radio reports replaying in her mind, Mandy wobbled drunkly up the damp city street. Her bags had grown darker than her eyes. No matter how much she drunk, she couldn’t get the memories out of her head. She was the laughing stock of the pirate world, especially after her humiliating defeat at the hands of Affright. That’s what she got for helping Nolan in his mission. Just another example of her generosity… her weakness…

Mandy fell over in the car as Creeper drove her back to the ship. “You’re becoming a real load, Captain.” her minion said as he helped walk her to the cabin. “But you’re still better than Boogey.”

**Koriko, Gotland**

“Hm hm hm hmmmmm! Hm hm hm hmmmm!” Kiki Yamaka hummed a merry tune as she blissfully swept the floor of the bakery. The weather called for a beautiful day, so the young witch was eager to make deliveries. She heard a jingle and whirled around. “Good morning, how may we help you today?”

She was face-to-face with darkness in the form of Mandy McKenzie. The pirate’s glare wrought of death. “KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!” Kiki was immediately on her knees, pounding her forehead to the floor. “L-Lord Mandy!! How kind of you to greet our humble shop!!”

“SHUT UP, Kiki!” Mandy yelled with an eye half-closed. Kiki’s head shot up, pale as Mandy tipped a sword to her neck. “You never cut off your hands like; like I asked you.” She murmured drunkly and swung the sword, and as Kiki dodged, Mandy whirled and fell against a shelf, all the items crashing down on her.

“LORD MANDY!” Creeper cried, bursting in. “Why the HELL were you driving the ship drunk?!”

“Nnn, I got sick of all the swaying and waving, I wanted a nice LAND to settle down on.”

“YOU DROVE THROUGH THE FUCKING TOWN! The anchor got tangled up on a playground!”

Outside, children were happily climbing the anchor’s chain. A gaping path had been cleared through the city as wide as the ship. “Look, Yu, I found some potions!”

“HEY! Those aren’t potions!” Creeper rushed back up to stop them.

“Kiki,” Osono walked in, “what’s all the commotion-” Mandy hit her with a Scare Stare. “AAAAAHHH!” She was dreaming that a chimpanzee in a diaper was beating her with a hotdog. The shop-owner ran upstairs.

“Ah’right Kiki, I’m takin’ over this town, GIMME the key to the city!”

“B-But I don’t have the key!”

“Well, fuck me and fuck a duck.” Mandy mindlessly swung her cutlass, Kiki dodging each time. “That damn duck screwed me over, I knew I shoulda got with that rabbit!”

“Eh… would you like to lie down, Lord Mandy? You seem a little tired.”

“I’M NOT TIRED!” Kiki flinched. “It’s those damn Emperors, those damn fucking pirates and their rumors and DUCKS… How DARE they call me soft! I’M NOT SOFT! I’m as hard as a…as a bunny rabbit.”

“The other Emperors have been saying bad things about you?”

“UUUUUUUGH.” She moaned like a dying hippo, then started crying. “I dunno what to do, Kiki! No one takes me seriously anymore. WHY did Sirius have to die?! Why couldn’t he live and tell me I’m a scary bitch? Why, I used to be the SCARIEST in the world before you KND became big city BIGSHOTS.”

“Lord Mandy, forgive me, but you seem to be having a midlife crisis.”

“Yeah, well if it’s the midway point, where’s my fucking power-up?!”

“Please, come sit down.” Kiki kindly led her to a chair. “There. Mom always said alcohol was bad for ya. It doesn’t help a witch fly and it doesn’t help a pirate sail! But you’ve been a pirate for about 23 years, right? Doesn’t it get exhausting?”

“Not as exhausting as your DRESS!!”

“Mmmm…” Kiki moaned, feeling sensitive about her old dress. “You know, a midlife crisis is another form of artist’s block. You just need to take a break and maybe think things over, I guess. Give yourself time to find a new motivation. Heck, maybe you’ll find that you wanna retire from pirating altogether. I’m sure there’re plenty of other jobs you can be good at.”

“I wanna be a WITCH Hunter.”

“KYAAAAAAAH! No, I didn’t mean that! Like, when you were a kid, is there something you always wanted to be?”

“Hnnnnuuuurrrr. I guess I…nnn-I always wanted to be a queen.”

“Kikikikiki.” Kiki grinned and laughed. “Yeah, we all wanna be queens. I, for one, wanna be Delivery Queen!”

“That TEARS it!” Mandy stretched up off the chair. “I’m gonna be QUEEN of the Pirates!”

“Mandy, I think you may have missed the point a tad.”

“Shut up, you damn fine turkey! I’m ’onna be a queen and YOU’RE gonna throw me a magic show with cake and tea, or I’mma…I’mma eat your fruitcake!” She lazily swung her arm and dropped to her knees.

“Eh hehe. I’m not that good of a magician, but perhaps Wendy could suffice.”

“Yeah, bu’yuh know what’s fucked up? Lizzie Devine is STILL alive. That fat pig hasn’t appeared ONCE in the entire Nextgen, but she’s still kickin’ and thinkin’ she’s relevant.”

“I don’t know who that is, and I doubt you do, too.”

“Ehhhhh, okay, I think I’m sobering up now.” Mandy stretched back to full height, bending her back. “Thank ye for the talk, Kiki. It was muy educational. I goin’ back to the ocean to throw up.” Mandy managed to navigate out of the bakery and climb the anchor to her ship. She reached the helm and tilted the _Boogey Coast_ right-side-up, slowly backing it toward the sea.

Kiki could only watch awkwardly as dozens more buildings were pushed down, citizens screaming in the distance. “I really need a vacation…”

One advantage the Big Mom Pirates had was control over their own planet. So, if Mandy wanted to make the masses fear her again, she needed to rule a planet of her own. For the next several days, her crewmen had been researching possible planets to conquer. It couldn’t be just any meager planet like Aquaria or Glomour, it had to be a planet that could really draw peoples’ attention. Then, Creeper arrived with splendid news.

“Captain! I just found the PERFECT planet for us! It’s time for you to reclaim the throne you rightfully deserve!”

“Spill it.”

“I’m sure you know about the New Planet Hyrule. We did some reading up on it, and apparently it’s made up of descendants from the Hyruleans who once lived on Earth. The kingdom is ruled by a new royal family, but according to an ancient tradition, if descendants of Link or Zelda were to show up, the title of King, Queen, or whatever Monarch have you would be all theirs! All you’ll have to do is walk up to the front gates and say, ‘Hey, I’m here for my flippin’ throne!’ You’ll have to hand over some blood as part of a DNA test or something; ’course, knowing your reputation, that may not even be necessary.”

“Hmmm… I normally don’t enjoy doing things the easy way, but if it legally belongs to me, who’m I to argue?”

“Great! So, what say we set sail to Hyrule and make you a queen?”

“Hold on, Creeper. We need to do this properly. We need to let the people of Hyrule know how powerful we are.”

“You mean like an invasion?”

“Something like that.”

**Hyrule Castle Town; January, 2036**

Dressed in a sleek, sky-blue gown, Mandy was practically invisible to the Hyruleans. Even though this town had a medieval feel, the people dressed modern. She had to commend this world for aging well. Mandy visited a café and treated herself to some coffee. She checked her phone and confirmed the time: 1:40pm. Since it was close to the appointed time, Mandy calmly made her way to the castle. The first gates were left open for tourism, but the 2nd gates were closed. Two guards stood firmly before them.

“Ahem, hello, Miss.” A guard greeted. “Access beyond here is prohibited unless you have official business.”

“Oh, it’s official, alright.” Mandy tilted up her sunglasses. “Tell them the queen has returned.”

Of course, this was a rhetoric demand, for Mandy knew they wouldn’t let her in that easy. That’s why she trapped them in a nightmare and burst through the gates with her own strength. She crossed the drawbridge and approached the castle gates, powerfully knocking on them. A gardener creaked the door open. “Eh… May we help you?”

“This is my blood.” Mandy said, showing him a vial of red. “Is this enough to prove I’m Zelda’s descendant?”

“Oh ho ho. Well, Miss, I’ll happily have this examined, but you may be bound for disappointment, as have millions of others before you. Nearly every family in the world has submitted blood, even Gorons and Minish.”

“I think you’ll find my blood to bear more satisfying results.”

**Gerudo Town**

In the blistering heat of Gerudo Desert, Gerudo Town was a pleasant oasis with average temperature. Alas, temperatures were through the roof today as fires rained from the very heavens. Bronze-colored airships with fire insignias loomed over the oasis town as Flare Dancers and former Fire Nation soldiers drowned the Gerudo in flames.

Marching through the town gates was the Flame Division Commander, known as both “Blue Demolisher” and “Mandy’s spiritual sister,” Azula. She saw lightning bolts striking the ships from the center of town, and the culprit responsible was a young Gerudo with a very large braid of red hair. Azula smirked and shot her own lightning at the child, who gasped and dodged in a heartbeat. “You must be Lady Riju.” Azula said with a smirk. “Gerudo’s youngest chief in centuries.”

“Chief, Leader of the Gerudo KND, and a rather proficient lightningbender.” Riju replied. “And who might you be, Outsider?”

“I would think I’m quite famous to you people. Why, 23 years ago, I briefly fought with your king, Ganon.”

“We do not speak of that monster!” Riju unleashed a bolt at Azula, who effortlessly caught it on her fingers and directed it at a building. Angered, Riju drew her sword, Scimitar of the Seven, and leapt off the roof to battle Azula. Her feet aflame, Azula’s kicks met with Riju’s electric blade, but the fallen princess merely withstood and built up the Electric Chi in her body. Azula flipped away and struck a bolt at Riju, who easily deflected it skyward, leaving her defenseless as Azula struck her with a Fire Dart.

_Azula is infamous as the former princess of the Avatar Realms’ Fire Nation. Having been locked in solitary confinement, she was rescued and recruited by the Brotherhood of Evil. It was during that time she found a kinship with Mandy, whom was also involved with them. After the Firstborn Quest, Azula and some rogue Fire Soldiers joined Mandy’s crew, and she found a new purpose in life as Mandy’s right-hand._

**Somewhere on the sea**

“Steel your hearts, men!” ordered Prince Sidon, bravely piercing Poes with his trident. “These ghouls may be all soul, but they’re lacking in soul!”

“That makes no sense!” yelled a Zora sailor with beaming eyes. “But he said it so coolly!!”

A Zora trade vessel was under attack by a ghostly blue and black vessel known as the _Black Skull_. “Let us see what Hyrule’s sailors have to offer! Yohohohohoho!” laughed Cortez, forming a swarm of swords and hooks in the air from his ghostly aura. One by one, the blades swooped down and slashed the Zoras, yet Sidon seemed to read their movements and countered them quickly.

“Zora Jujutsu!” Sidon moved his hands swiftly, controlling the seawater with his own chi to douse the Ember spirits who threatened to burn the ship.

“Try to dodge THIS, amigo!” Cortez declared, suddenly throwing open his coat as hundreds of bones flew out and pierced every corner of the ship. “Yohohohoho!”

_“Black Heart” Cortez was once renowned as the Pirate King of Mushroom’s oceans. 1,000 years ago, his precious Skull Gem, a magic jewel which powered his ship, was stolen by an enemy pirate, leaving Cortez’s crew stranded on Keelhaul Key. The souls of his crew haunted the island, until Lord Mandy arrived with the Skull Gem having been “procured” from its captors. After proving her power to Cortez, the ghostly captain joined her army of monsters._

**Kakariko Village**

The poor children and elders of the Sheikah hid in their homes, for all the capable warriors fell one by one by these swift assassins. They could be mistaken as Gerudo, for they were all women in ninja attire, cutting the Sheikah down with katana. The only exception was their leader: Rā’s al Ghūl.

With shining green eyes and veins, the muscular assassin clashed with Dorian and Cado, the Sheikah’s strongest guards. The two summoned 200 Shadow Clones to dive onto the invader, but all Rā’s needed to do was break the earth with his sandbending and stab all the clones with sandy needles. Dorian and Cado seized the chance to decapitate Rā’s from both sides, only for the Sand Clone to crumble, and for the real Rā’s to stab them both in one strike.

_Rā’s al Ghūl was a feared assassin from Gotham City on Planet Superbia. Using the revitalizing properties of a Lazarus Pit, Rā’s led the League of Assassins for 500 years, ridding the world of criminal scum. When Lord Mandy wandered into their hideaway with hundreds of demons, the League viewed her as a possible successor to Rā’s’ title. After proving her power, Mandy earned the League’s loyalty, and with her resources, they’ve been able to assassinate villains across several worlds._

**Lon Lon Ranch**

“WAAAAAAH!” The young ranch girl was chased by dozens of undead Cuccos. “I’m sorry for throwing you in the river!! I just loved seeing you fly up the cliff! NO, NOT THE BOMBS, WAAAAAH!” The chickens dropped bombs on her.

“Ah hahahahahaha!” laughed Django de los Muertos, bringing many dead farm animals to life with his Mystic Guitar. Mr. Ingo the 56th was not popular with the undead horses for some reason, and Kimaya Heartly threw Rotten Corpse Gas Bombs inside the barn to kill more animals. “Man, how the hell did you manage without us this long, Cindy? Getting dead animals has never been easier!”

“You’re double-dead if you criticize me again.” Cindy hissed.

“You lucky you don’t have a nose, sistuh.” Kimaya remarked.

 _“No Nose” Cindy Cortix is the daughter of Mandy and Billy. She found she is good with animals, but prefers those of the undead variety. She is desperate to be as good at fearbending as her mother, but currently, she is angry at Mandy for not being able to add Moge-ko to the crew. She thought Moge-ko would’ve made a great friend. Cindy is also the captain of Mandy’s old ship, the_ Boogey Bay _._

**Hyrule Castle**

The stand-in royal family were utterly mortified: when Mandy’s blood was poured onto Zelda’s statue, its Triforce mark glowed golden. “B-B-But… it can’t be!” stuttered the king. “No! I refuse to believe it! This criminal can NOT be Zelda’s legacy! She doesn’t even have the Triforce on her!”

“If that thing mattered at all to me, I could get it back.” Mandy stated. “But all I want is the throne. Now pack your things and get the hell out.”

“Absolutely not! Royal blood or not, you’re a Pirate Emperor, a Top Wanted criminal. Your crimes are a disgrace to the noble kingdom, and to Zelda’s teachings—”

But two Sheikah women dropped from the ceiling, holding swords to the cowering man’s neck. “It is not your place to defy the sacred prophecy. One day, Zelda’s bloodline would return, and the throne would return to its rightful owner. And Hyrule will truly be reborn anew.”

“You can’t be serious! This monster will lead our world to ruin!”

“Uuuuuugh! S’LAME! Get this nameless nobody outta here!” called a loud girl’s voice. A beam of black magic struck the ground at the king’s feet, and it caved in immediately.

_“OW! My back!”_

“Okay, Lord Mandy, we all done up there in the cloud place.” The captain and Sheikah faced up at their next guest: she appeared to be a fairy with pitch-black bat wings, a purple dress with black diamonds, and long blue hair that curtained her backside. Her red eyes seemed dense as she picked her nose with her toes. “What’s the name of that place again?”

“The sky.” Mandy sighed.

“Man, I was gonna say ‘ski.’”

_

Boogey Pirates Anti-Fairy Division Commander  
SIVAM NOILLIMREV

_

“Now, I believe it is time for my coronation.” Mandy discarded her sunglasses. “I’ll make sure everyone knows what I’m capable of. Especially… the Kids Next Door.”

****

**Now loading…  
Kids Next Door mission…**

 **Operation:  
M.O.N.A.R.C.H.**

 **Mandy  
Officially  
New  
Absolute  
Ruler  
Cursing  
Hyrule**

**Loading transmission…**

**If you look back at _Tea Party_ , there was a brief scene where a blonde woman was approaching Hyrule Castle. Now we know. XD And we officially introduce Sivam, Mavis Vermillion’s Negative from the cancelled _Sugar Fairies_ story! I actually worked her in the story!**


	2. The Desolation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Mandy is crowned Queen of Hyrule, she must suddenly do battle with Sakura Kinomoto of Sector TD.

**Alas, Stan Lee died today on November 12, 2018. May he continue to watch over the Marvelverse from the heavens. Anyway, fun facts about Mandy: she’s the only current Emperor that wears shoes, and she’s the second-smallest after Skaios.**

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**_

Chapter 2: The Desolation

_**

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**KND Moonbase**

At the Global Tactical Station, Panini was gazing confusedly at an image of Planet Hyrule. “Ay don’t see what the problem is!”

 _“That’s because they don’t appear on digital screens.”_ Nebula replied. _“But none of our operatives have been able to enter, or receive transmissions from Hyrule. Our Avalaran operatives confirmed that Anti-Fairies are the cause. They tried to fight them, but they were overpowered. Their magic revolves entirely around misfortune.”_

“But Cheren is still training on Hyrule! Will we be able to rescue him?!”

_“I don’t know, Panini… We’re trying, but my brother and I can’t even Space Warp to the planet. There must be a spell in place.”_

“Grrr, this is terrible. Cheren could be in even more danger than before. I HAVE to get down there! There must be some way of getting past the Anti-Fairies! Like…Like timebending! Ay can get the timebenders to freeze them and—DAAAAAH, Sector IC was captured by the flippin’ Big Mom Pirates!! Wait, but I wonder if the mages can use any time spells. Ugh, but Sector MG is on holiday at Mushroom Kingdom, GOD this is the worst.”

_“You want me to ask the Avalarans for any potential members?”_

“No, I don’t want to trouble other Kids Next Doors. Hmmm…” Panini could only think of one other group of mages. She pressed the button and said, “This is Moonbase to Sector TD, come in, Sector TD.”

The face of Numbuh Card, Sakura Kinomoto, appeared onscreen. _“This is Sector TD, how can we help you?”_

“Numbuh Card, I don’t suppose you know any strong time-stopping spells?”

_“Oh yes, one of my cards can do that! But it’s only for a second or two.”_

“That’s okay. I hate to ask this, but I might need your help for a mission. Cheren might be in danger!”

 _“Oh, my! Don’t worry, we’ll get there as soon as possible!”_ Transmission ended.

“Sigh… Still, I don’t think I should take them alone. This might be too dangerous. But who… Wait, of course! Sector JP! I wonder if Anti-Fairies are the same as ghosts?”

 _“What about Sector V?”_ Nebula asked.

“We don’t really know what we’re up against, so I don’t want to send them, yet. But that ain’t gonna stop me from helpin’ Cheren.”

**Hyrule Castle Town**

“BIG NEEEEEEWS!” cried Big Bird, recording the exciting ceremony that was transpiring. “For nearly 4,000 years, the Kingdom of Hyrule has been without its true ruler! Princess Zelda and the royal family remained on Earth while her people have migrated to a new planet. Although a stand-in family have managed the kingdom, they have left the throne unoccupied, forever awaiting their princess’s return. At long last, that time is now… but just LOOK WHO IT IS!!”

This should have been a wonderful moment for the Hyruleans, for every single race and the rulers of every region were in attendance. Yet, the once-happy citizens sulked in fear of the demons that overfilled their town. A squat minister approached the queen at the top of the towering altar, gently placing the crown over her horn-shaped blonde hair. “Um… a-all hail the new Queen of Hyrule, the descendant of Princess Zelda.” And she stood as all citizens were forced to meet her terrifying glare. “Mandy McKenzie! May she lead our world to ever-lasting glory!”

“Oi, you can’t be serious!” yelled a blacksmith. “She’s a recognized criminal! Just look at all these demons!”

“SILENCE!” Mandy commanded. “There’s going to be some changes around here. So, let’s get to brass tactics: my first decree as queen will be that demons will no longer be discriminated or hunted. Welcome them as citizens like any other race. My 2nd decree is that we are no longer welcoming tourism from outside planets. And no trades with other planets without my permission! Hyrule is becoming a sovereign world!”

“THAT’S ABSURD!” roared King Zora. “My people LOVE Aquaria’s sushi! Not to mention some of them are currently there on vacation! You’re going to let them back in, aren’t you?!”

“Anyone who leaves the kingdom is no longer a citizen. The same as anyone who sets foot on this planet is a citizen now and forever, tourist or not. Oh, and that rule ALSO applies to the Kids Next Door!”

“NO WAY!” yelled a Hylian boy with a sword.

“How will we see Brother Anthony again?!” yelled a Goron, shouting with his three brothers.

“None of those are my concern. These are the laws of New Hyrule and there are plenty more to come. In fact, I’m aware you kids use Sheikah Tech for some of your inventions. Since you won’t be needing them anymore, we’ll put them to better use.”

“Hyrule is a constitutional monarchy!” yelled the Goron patriarch, Barbus. “You cannot enforce these laws, and our armies will bury your demons back in the ground!”

“Why don’t you take a look up there!” Sivam yelled, wand aimed skyward. “My Anti-Fairies are flying around the planet like bugs! They won’t let anyone get in!”

“Furthermore,” Azula followed, “with the amount of demons and outlaws joining our ranks, our army is superior to yours.”

Beyond Hyrule’s atmosphere, Anti-Fairies circled the world like orbital rivers of darkness. A pink ship with angel wings and the figurehead of a stuffed lion was closing in on the planet as Sectors TD, JP, and Panini observed the situation. “I don’t believe it… Anti-Fairies really DO exist!” Sakura said in awe.

“Our _Kero Cruiser_ can fire a giant net for situations like this.” explained Naoko, the ship’s pilot. “But it’s not nearly big enough for all of them.”

“Plus, I never really tested the T.H.E.R.M.O.S. on fairies before.” followed Karin, Sector JP’s leader.

“The important thing now is landing on the planet.” Panini said. “From there, we can find Cheren. Sakura, can ye do it?”

“Yeah!” she said with conviction. She drew a card with a design of a cloaked woman holding an hourglass, labeled _The Time_ , and inserted it in a slot at her station. “Naoko-chan, full speed ahead!”

“Hai!” Naoko nodded, hitting the boost.

“I’ll give us a boost, too!” Kodama said, pressing a remote to ignite fireworks on the back.

One of the Anti-Fairies, a girl with pink eyes and big teeth, spotted the ship. “Look, Omsoc! Ther’s a purdy lion flyin’ up like a white batty!”

“You dimwit, that’s a ship!” Omsoc bashed her with his wand. He was a green-eyed Anti-Fairy with a monocle. “Shoot them down!”

“THE TIME!” screamed Sakura, striking the card with her magic wand, the Clow Rod. A bubble formed around the _Kero Cruiser_ , completely freezing time around it. It only lasted for a second, but in that second, the ship flew full speed and bypassed the Anti-Fairy swarm.

“Holy cheesenuts, they done poofed!”

“No, Adnaw! They’re down there!” Omsoc yelled, seeing the ship descending toward Hyrule. “Squad -12, after them!” They and a group of fairies gave chase, shooting black beams of magic.

“They’re coming after us!” yelled Tomoyo Daidouji (Numbuh Catch), holding a video camera. “And for some reason, they won’t appear on my camera! This is going to make the movie look so awkward!”

“Just keep outrunning them!” Panini ordered, tapping her wristwatch. “If we get into the planet’s atmosphere, maybe Cheren will respond.”

“AAAAH!” cried Naoko. “Our engine’s been hit! It’s shut off on its own, we’re gonna crash!”

“I hope this works! The Shield!” Sakura placed another card in the ship, projecting a magic shield around the vessel. The 11 operatives held onto something as their ride whirled around, and upon crashing on a pointed tower, the _Kero_ haphazardly bounced down like a ball, creating an unsettling experience.

When it finally settled to a stop, the barrier disabled. The kids groggily recovered as Sakura climbed out of the sideways-turned craft. “Urgh… At least we’re okay. I wonder where we landed… ueh?!” she gasped, realizing they landed just outside the Castle Town gates, surrounded by hundreds of demons with pirate ships hovering in the air.

Commander Azula marched across the bridge beyond the south gate, scowling viciously. “Do you know how rude it is to interrupt a queen’s coronation?! It’s a crime punishable by execution!”

“You’re in the KND’s criminal files!” Sakura recognized. “You’re part of the Boogey Pirates! If you’re here, then that means…”

“Aunt Mandy is responsible for all this?” Panini whispered, finding this hard to believe for several reasons.

“How many people are in there?! You can’t be the only one!” Azula demanded.

“I can use my powers to help us escape.” Karin said. “But there’s a lot of you, and I can’t make Infi-Cubes intangible.”

“Sakura and I can try to fight them.” Li Syaoran said.

“In that case, I wanna stay, too!” his cousin, Meiling insisted.

“I’m not leaving Sakura-chan!” Tomoyo vowed.

“Fine. Sector TD, you can fight them, but try to escape.” Panini ordered. “If JP and I escape in secret, we can plan a counterattack.”

“Then get going!” Naoko ordered, grabbing a ray gun with a Power Star turret. “We’ll locate you as soon as we lose them!”

“Ururu, you can take my Infi-Cube and escape on your own!” Kodama said, tossing her the device. “Wait for a chance and escape before they spot you.”

“Okay, I’ll try.” Ururu said, putting on her Tiny Devil.

“Sector TD, ATTACK!” At Sakura’s signal, Naoko jumped out of the hatch and rapidly blasted demons, and Meiling cried, “SHYAAAAAH!” as she flew out and began attacking demons with swift martial arts. Syaoran aided her by quickly slaying them with his sword.

The cousins faced Azula, and Meiling was the first to run up and throw the first hits. Using Fire Kung-Fu, she endured and countered Azula’s Fire Fists, but the sapphire embers were steadily scarring her as Meiling leapt away. “With that armor, chi-blocking her will be a challenge.”

“I think we’ve got an even bigger challenge!” Syaoran said, frightfully pointing at the gate.

It appeared as if a greater demon were crossing the bridge, accompanied by a blood-red cloud of death. In actuality, Queen Mandy had come to greet her intruders. “Didn’t I make it specifically clear that we aren’t welcoming anymore visitors?! Hm?” She studied Sakura’s attire: she was dressed just like Princess Zelda, albeit with a much shorter skirt. “Don’t tell me you were planning to claim the crown as well. I don’t take kindly to usurpers.”

“Pirate Emperor Mandy.” Sakura spoke with passion and fearlessness. “Wanted with a bounty of 97 billion. So, you’re the one terrorizing this peaceful kingdom.”

“You know, you remind me of one of those anime magical girls. Euck. I hate those.”

“You’re wanted by the KND for what you did to Beach City too, you know! So, as a dedicated operative, it’s my job to apprehend you!” Sakura grabbed a card with gusto and declared, “Light, encase my body in a holy glow that banishes evil!” Upon striking the card, Sakura’s body brimmed with an angelic light.

“So beautiful! !” Tomoyo beamed, recording every second. “Now she looks like a real Zelda!”

“And then I’ll combine it with The Power!” Sakura said, striking a second card. “Give me the strength to lift boulders and fight the strongest enemies!” Now filled with a terrific surge of strength, Sakura ran forth and punched Mandy directly in the stomach. The Light pierced her Logia defense, and Mandy blew back into Castle Town like a bullet, across the southern road as she crashed into the square fountain.

“CAPTAIN MANDY!” Creeper screamed.

“GORO! Looks like a fight!” Barbus cheered. “Clear out of town, all of you! ! Give them space!”

Everyone was quickly scrambling out of the city as Mandy lay in the ruins of the fountain. Her expression was unfazed. “Was that supposed to hurt?”

“Haaaaaah!” Her heart filled with bravery, Sakura ran for the next attack. Mandy stood, brushing herself off, never batting an eye when Sakura swung a mighty kick. She struck the spot between Mandy’s legs, the queen blasting straight to the sky.

“Wooooow! She’s going so high!” Tomoyo’s eyes shone brighter. “My beautiful Sakura vs. a dreaded Pirate Queen! She’ll be a KND legend! She’ll be a movie star!”

Up in the sky, still unfazed, Mandy checked her watch and said, “Ten more seconds.” She then took the fall, and Sakura readied her wand like a baseball bat. With a hearty swing and perfect timing, Mandy was blown into a building. “Ehh… That’s enough of a headstart.” Mandy casually recovered as Sakura ran for the next attack—the Emperor blasted her across town with a giant Fear Sphere. Sakura had no time to recover when Mandy WHOOSHED over with nightmarish tentacles growing from her back, mercilessly whipping the young Cardcaptor until she was a bloody mess.

“SAKURA-CHAN!” Syaoran cried, racing into town. With a start, he drew his sword in defense when Kimaya ambushed with both Keyblades.

“Hey man, it’s one-on-one, back off!”

“Thunder God!” Syaoran slapped a jufu (magic paper) over his sword and zapped Kimaya with lightning. It only damaged her bones for a moment before she dropped her pants, flipped upside-down, and fired a Corpse Gas Blast at the Chinese boy. Syaoran held his breath and countered with Petals of Wind to disperse the gas, and he resumed clashing with Kimaya.

Mandy watched as Sakura weakly got to her feet. The Light was steadily fading from her body. “She’s powerful… I don’t normally play this card, but I have to help my friends escape.” She grabbed another card and called, “Transform me into a tower that looms high into the skies. Big!” Within seconds, Sakura expanded to a size that rivaled Hyrule Castle. Without hesitating, she SQUASHED Mandy under her foot before reaching to grab Syaoran. _“Let’s go! I can carry you all a good distance before the card wears off, and that’ll give us time to hide—AAAAH!”_ A black and red cloud began to swallow her foot and travel up her leg.

“NOO!” Syaoran struck lightning at the Fear, but it opened gaps to dodge as it traveled up Sakura’s body.

“Oooops!” Sivam drawled, watching the battle from the sky. “Your glowy thing stopped? That sure is bad luck!”

 _“UUUUEEEEEEHHHH!”_ The fear reached Sakura’s head, drowning her in a nightmare.

_“Sakura, you failed your math test.” the teacher said. “You’ve been slipping a lot lately.”_

_“Oh dear, Sakura, you sprained your knee.” the coach said. “Looks like I’ll have to cut you.”_

_“What do you mean you lost my doll, Sakura?!” Rika yelled. “That’s it, I’m never speaking to you again!”_

_“Oh, Sakura. You disappoint me.” Mother said._

_“UEEEEEHHH! NO, MOM, I’M SORRY!”_ Sakura stumbled on her own feet, crushing every building in Castle Town except the castle itself. _“I’ll work harder, I promise! Guys, please don’t be mad at me!”_

“STOP, SAKURA!” Syaoran screamed. “YOU’RE DESTROYING THE—” Kimaya shot him with Corpse Gas and knocked him out.

“NOOO! SAKURA-CHAN!” Tomoyo cried, shutting off her camera to avoid filming her friend in such disgrace.

 _“ROOOOAAAAARRRR!”_ A fearsome bellow ripped the air as, in the distance, a great dragon was soaring toward the castle. Despite the great distance he had yet to travel, the gargantuan girl was all-too clear a target for him. His guts and throat brimmed with flames, building up before unleashing a tremendous ball of fire. It flew toward Sakura like a meteor cannon, and her fear-induced eyes could barely process as the fire struck her in the face.

The force overwhelmed Sakura, and the 13-year-old stumbled backward, crushing the south bridge. Her foot slipped in the gorge and she tripped and fell, her teammates screaming as they and the _Kero Cruiser_ were squashed underneath. Sakura was completely unconscious, the flesh on her face melting away as she shrank down to normal size. Tomoyo, Naoko, and Meiling were uncovered, left as smashed bloody messes. Lord Mandy rematerialized and planted a foot on Sakura.

“You have such petty fears. You’re the kind of girl that lives a perfect life with people who love her. ‘Ooo, I’m not good at French, I’m so ashamed because I can’t speak French, yet I can do all this other shit.’ That’s what you are. And I TRAMPLE over privileged brats like you!”

 _“Hiiiissssss…”_ The tremendous dragon planted himself over the remains of Castle Town, his snaked head looming over Mandy.

“Oh, yeah. People of Hyrule, I would like for you to meet my pet: Smaug. You might know him as the King Under the Mountain. You Gorons might be familiar with him. Let it be known that any town that tries to rebel against me will meet the same fate as this one.”

 _“Well, so much for decimating the city.”_ Smaug hissed. _“You found yourself another monster, I see.”_

“You were late, Smaug.”

_“It takes a while to burn down 23 KND treehouses. They’re like hornets swarming around me after I destroyed their hive.”_

“Regardless… Men, take these fairy brats and throw them in the dungeon.” The Bokoblin grabbed the TD members and followed their order. “Sivam, have your Anti-Fairies scour the area in case any more ships try to land. Azula, look for any craftsmen in the crowds and start making them rebuild the city. I can’t have the capital of my new empire looking like this!”

As the operatives were taken into the castle, Creeper used a mechanical purple eyepiece to examine them. A star icon highlighted the members and brought up numbers. “According to this Scouter, Sakura’s Power Level was 4,200, Syaoran’s was 2,200, Meiling’s was 1,500, and Tomoyo and Naoko were both Level 9. Yeesh, talk about an unfair fight. Our Captain Mandy’s Level is 22,278!”

“Where’d you get a dorky thing like that?” Cindy asked.

“Our spy in the Sky God Pirates sent it. I think it’s quite stylish, really. Your Level is about 2,000.”

Meanwhile, Panini and the JP members were able to seek refuge on a mountain. They could see the giant Sakura quite clearly, especially when she fell. “Well, there goes our fodder sector.” Jinta remarked.

“Don’t say that!” Yuzu stated. “I really hope they’re okay!”

“I still can’t believe the timing of this.” Panini said. “First, Sector IC was captured by the Big Mums, then Sector W by the Kremlings, and now Mandy is takin’ over Hyrule when Cheren’s supposed to be trainin’? This can’t all be a coincidence!”

“Those three are the Yonko, right?” Jinta asked. “I thought they hated each other.”

“Yeah, but you can’t deny this is kinda weird.” Karin replied. “Let’s assume they WOULD form an alliance… but why?”

Panini thought for a moment. She tried to think of any recent events that would convince the Emperors to team up. “…Could it be Sector SA?”

“Huh?” The four Asians each raised a brow.

“A few weeks ago, when Index’s secret was broadcasted to the universe… a lot of operatives fell into a panic, and the same could apply to a lot of other people. What if the Emperors are teaming up to rise against the KND? What if their target is Sector SA?”

“It is a possibility…” Karin figured.

“But I still can’t believe Mandy would be involved in it. I know she’s evil, but she’s always had a soft spot for Cheren. Oh, he’s not even responding to his watch! I can’t tell if he was captured or still training.”

Kodama saw an Infi-Cube flying toward them, but a closer look would reveal it was Ururu. The Tiny Devil grew back to normal size and reunited with her team. “Thank God you made it!” Kodama beamed.

“There was so much going on back there, it was hard to find an opening.”

“Sorry we put you through that, but those are all our weapons. And I think we’re gonna need them.”

“It sounds like we can’t leave the planet very easily.” Yuzu said. “But Karin should be able to travel to the Spirit World, right?”

“You’re right.” Karin acknowledged. “But I wanna stay and collect info first. So Panini, let’s search for Cheren.”

**Hyrule Castle**

_Tidbits about World Governments: Using Hyrule as a reference, it is a planet composed of a single grand nation with a supreme monarch. Of course, the various regions of Hyrule are governed by their own rulers with their own rules. Other similar planets include Mobius, Glomour, Kateenia, Sweetopia, or Coruscant. Then there are planets whose nations are more “heavily” divided, such as Earth, Mushroom, Poké, and the Avatar Realms, where no grand law encompasses the whole world. Despite this, some of those worlds’ rulers elect a single leader to represent the planet in Galaxia’s Intergalactic Council._

Mandy, Cindy, Rā’s al Ghūl, and Azula accompanied some Sheikah guards to the castle library. Little did they know that a young girl was spying on them from the ceiling. “Welcome, Queen Mandy.” bowed an elderly Sheikah. “My name is Impoz, Head Attendant of the Royal Sheikah. We have kept watch over the castle for generations, long awaiting the return of the royal family. We are in your service.”

“You’re strangely cooperative, considering I just destroyed the capital.”

“History will see it as a titanic monster rising from the earth, only to be felled by Your Highness. You can be sure of that.”

“You must have quite the influence. I bet you know all this kingdom’s secrets.”

“Secrets that have long gone unknown to all eyes but our own. They are for royal family’s eyes only. The eyes of Zelda’s bloodline.”

“Show them to me. Now.”

“If that is what you wish—”

“AAAAAAHHHH!” A child’s scream ruptured the air, and all eyes whipped upward. A Sheikah girl fell from the ceiling with rage in her gray eyes, ready to impale Mandy with a small sword. The queen showed no fear or surprise, for the sword merely cut through her Logia body. “IT WAS YOU! You made those people attack my village!” She furiously stabbed Mandy, leaking Fear Gas out of those parts.

“How did this brat get in?” Rā’s asked.

The girl faced the man, her rage growing. “YOU’RE THE MAN THAT STABBED FATHER!” She ran to stab him, only to be stomped in the face. Azula pinned the child on the ground.

“For you to be able to sneak in here, you must at least be an operative. What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“It’s Koko! I’m from Kakariko and that man stabbed Father!” She desperately tried to push Azula’s leg off. “What’ll happen if Father dies?! Me and Cottla will be all alone!”

Azula projected a strong aura and weakened the child, her strength and conviction shrinking. Some of the servants in the room dropped to this aura. “You know what this is, girl? It’s Conqueror’s Haki. The aura of those born with the divine right to rule. I may be below the queen, but I’ll crush defiant worms like you all the same.”

“Noooo… sniff.” Koko began to cry, feeling extremely helpless and hopeless. “P-Please… If I go, no one will take care of Cottla. No one will cook for her. Please, have mercy!” Four different streams flowed from her eyes and nostrils. “Please! Please! Please!”

Mandy’s head throbbed every time she said the word. This brat had the gall to attempt to assassinate her, but now she was begging for mercy? Just look at her, so weak and pathetic. Her fears reeked of worry and care for her little sister. In Koko’s mind, the sight of Cottla alone and crying was clear as day, and Mandy saw it. “I just wanted to be strong! Koko has to be strong for Cottla, or Koko is a failure to Mother and Father! Please! Please!”

“I’ve had enough.” Rā’s decided, about to stab her.

“Wait!” Impoz pled. “I recognize this girl. Her family visits the castle on occasions. She would beg us to let her work with the chefs and they would let her help cook. Dare I say… her meals are extraordinary.”

“It’s unfortunate that she’s a traitor.” Azula said. “Kill her, Rā’s.”

“STOP!” Mandy ordered. “YOU, TOO!” Koko ceased crying, her lip quivering as she gazed up at the wicked queen. “You clearly didn’t get the message when I fought that magic brat. So, I’ll discipline you myself.” Mandy grabbed Koko by the scruff and dragged her away. “You’ll pay for keeping me from my national secrets.”

**Dungeons**

A woman with short black hair, leather jacket, and a red ninja suit was wrapping Sakura’s head in bandages. Her name was Shiva, a general in the Shadow Division. “You are lucky that Lord Mandy never lets her enemies die immediately. But she has ordered your incarceration here until further notice. We have also taken photos of you and your friends, and we will show them to everyone in your hometown. Lord Mandy will relish in their despair… as well as the damage to your reputation.”

After being treated, Sakura was taken to a lonely cell and left abandoned. Her friends were all separated throughout the dungeon, slowly descending into despair with their injuries and defeat. Even if they were to be rescued and returned home, they would forever live in guilt and disgrace.

**Kitchen**

Mandy dragged Koko to the castle kitchen and discarded her on the floor. The child remained in a bowing position for several minutes until a group of Moblins marched in with large sacks. They lazily threw the sacks on the floor, ripping open as piles of horrid materials spilled out: Moblin toenails, Bokoblin eyeballs, Octorok brains, Molduga guts, they brought body parts from any and every monster in their arsenal. Mandy was pleased when Koko covered her nose. No human would want to stand this stench for long.

“Here is your punishment.” Mandy began. “You are going to cook a buffet using each and every one of these filthy demon parts. And it will be served to your village.”

“Y-Y…You want me to serve _this_ to my village? To Cottla?!”

“The people of Kakariko must pay for defying my will. If you refuse, Smaug will turn them all to cinders.”

“B-But, th-this stuff is-”

“Horrendous, I know. That’s why I make the Fire Soldiers cook my meals. I will return in three hours. After you’re finished, you will personally lead my demons to Kakariko where it will be served. Don’t even think of slacking off.” She and her demons left, sealing the kitchen.

Pinching her nose, Koko looked over the hideous materials. The yellow nails of a Hinox, oozing eyes of a Bokoblin, the guano of Keese… no human could knowingly ingest these ingredients with a smile. But Koko already knew… _With the food I can make from this, Kakariko won’t go hungry for weeks._ She shut her eyes tight and clapped hands in prayer, mustering every ounce of courage and passion in her heart. _Chef Yuzu, I only wish you were around to taste this! Please, give me your strength!!_

**Outset Island**

A News Rito had come to deliver a newspaper to the humble little island of Outset. When Biscuit Krueger seized the paper, her pupils shrunk in horror. “No way! Emperor Mandy… became Queen of Hyrule?! Grrrrr! This was NOT supposed to happen so soon! Not when I finally made progress with Cheren! Ugh…” She faced up at the Headstone Cliff, which concealed a hole to a deep underground. “If he finds out, he’ll want to speak to Mandy himself. And worse, he might find out what’s been happening to all his operatives. Urgh… but no matter what, I have to keep training him. I have to keep going until he’s ripe.”

 

**Introducing Smaug, the first crossover character from the _Hobbit_ saga! And Sector TD are _Cardcaptor Sakura_ characters… who we may not see again for a long time. Yeah, a running gag with these Emperors is making them destroy beloved cartoon characters or settings.**


	3. Thank You, Queen Mandy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mandy attempts to make the Sheikah and Rito fear her. Unfortunately, her plan backfires.

**Did I ever mention Koko’s one of my favorite characters from _Breath of the Wild_? Like, she’s just one of those totally minor characters that I love so much, kinda like the W7 members in their original arcs!**

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Chapter 3: Thank You, Queen Mandy!

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“JA—REEEEEEED!”

**Precioooouuuuus!**

**Hyrule Field**

Panini and Sector JP climbed down the mountain and began to follow a dirt road across the field. Karin had been talking on a cellphone before she hung up. “Okay, I just spoke to Yachiru on my Soul Phone. She says the Spirit KND already caught on to what’s happening and they’re trying to fight the demons and dark spirits. She also said she’d have no problem warping me to Earth via the Spirit World if need be, but she won’t take the rest of you because of regulations.”

“Ay hope Francis can manage without me for a while.” Panini said. “If the Four Emperors are purposely targeting sectors, I’m sure the same will happen to others.”

“Wait, who is the 4th Yonko again?” Jinta asked.

“Supposedly, it’s Skaios, from the Sky God Pirates. According to Sector SA, that Mustache Girl and Wendy’s dad, Vaati work for them. I don’t think we know much about them though.” Panini had been fiddling with her wristwatch. “Okay, I think I pinned the location of Cheren’s communicator. It’s on an island out at sea.”

 _“ROOOOOAAAARRR…!”_ A massive shadow was cast over the land, the kids shaking under the dragon’s screech. Smaug appeared to be returning to Death Mountain.

“What a terrifying dragon. . .” Ururu stuttered. “Mandy’s going to be unstoppable with him.”

“You guys know something?” Karin asked. “If Mandy’s trying to cut off the KND from the rest of the universe, maybe we should try to gather intel, and I could share it after I leave the planet.”

“You think so?” Jinta asked.

“Yeah. In fact, maybe I could take Panini to find Cheren while the rest of you go learn about that dragon. Based on what Mandy said, the Gorons should have info on him.”

“Actually, Karin-nee,” Yuzu said worriedly, “since we’re here, I would like to go visit Koko’s village.”

“Oh, you mean the Sheikah girl, right?” Kodama asked. “The one you met on Field Day?”

“Yeah, the one who admired my cooking.” Yuzu blushed. “I can’t help but feel worried for her.”

“Alright,” Karin decided, “I guess you and Kodama can go find Koko’s village. Jinta and Ururu, you find the Gorons.”

“You sure you wanna split up like this?” Panini asked. “In this situation, you’re just begging them to get captured.”

“Will you relax? My team is strong, especially in these pairs. Plus, most of our enemies are demons. If you get in too much trouble, just call me, and I’ll radio Yachiru to send backup to your location.”

“We got ya!” Jinta gave a thumbs-up. “Sector JP, divide and conquer!” The three pairs went their separate directions.

**Hyrule Castle**

Impoz led Queen Mandy down a secret stairwell hidden within a wall in the underground port. The torchlit stairwell ended at a library. “These documents have gone untouched for 4,000 years, ever since our ancestors brought them from Planet Earth. At least… that’s what we tell people, but we read up on them every once in a while. We have plenty of blueprints for ancient and powerful weapons, maps with locations of special treasures… and many other things that should be of use to a powerful queen such as yourself.”

“You must know the underworld of this country very well. I find it odd that demons have been such a nuisance here for 4,000 years.” Mandy replied.

“I believe it was before Hyrule was first founded. The Sheikah learned how to attract and repel demons, and we became a great service to the royal family. So great, in fact, that we could not allow it to end. So, our ancestors have been secretly luring and trading with the demons for ages, so the royals would always depend on us.”

“And the royal family knew this?”

“Well… we may have kept some secrets to ourselves. But you are different, Your Highness. The demons have become your allies, too.”

Mandy approached a desk and picked up a mechanical sword, the blade of which activated with blue energy like a lightsaber. “Over the years, we began to market Sheikah Tech items and weapons to other regions. Of course, theirs is in a much weaker class than what the royal family can possess.” Impoz explained.

“You know, the material of this tech seems awfully familiar. Its design is similar to that of the Sky God Pirates’ flagship.”

“That ship is… _Santa Hylia_.” Impoz bowed his head in slight shame. “Our ancestors built it to carry all of the Hyruleans to this planet, and we hid it underground. Yet, by some divine prank, it came rising out of the ground and vanished in the heavens. It happened back in May.”

“And within that time, Skaios began to gain infamy. Because of your poor security, one of my enemies has taken something that should belong to me. You’ve already failed me, Impoz.”

“Forgive me, Your Majesty. I-”

In that instant, Impoz found himself in the middle of a vast desert. The castle was miles in the distance. “W-What? How did I get out here?!” As if some divine force compelled him, he made the great dash across the desert. “NO! YOUR MAJESTY! PLEASE! I can still serve you! DON’T LEAVE ME OUT HERE! LET ME RETURN TO THE CASTLE! PLEEEEASE!”

“Sorry, but I’m renouncing your duties.” Mandy replied coldly, leaving him writhing on the floor. “FIRE TROOPS! Get down here and start making me weapons!”

 _“YAAAAAY!”_ The former Fire Nation soldiers raced downstairs, eager to get back in the game.

“Oi, we’ll be able to attract loads of demons with all these secrets.” Creeper said, having come down with the soldiers as he began reading a book. “So, can I be the new Head Attendant?”

“What else are you good for? As for me, I’m going on a little tour of the kingdom. Think I’ll visit the Rito first, since they run the newspaper business. Mark my words, this whole planet will fear me within the week!”

**Dueling Peaks; a few hours later**

Three Tallblins (tall Moblins) charged at Yuzu and Kodama, spears in hand. The girls ran a safe distance away as Kodama launched iceworks to freeze the first Tallblin, then blasted it with a firework. Yuzu pressed a button on her wristband, projecting an energy arrow as she pulled back a string and launched it at the head of the second Tallblin. Yuzu let loose faster, weaker arrows, combined with more of Kodama’s fireworks, until the third Tallblin was felled.

“I knew you would get us lost, Yuzu.” Kodama said.

“Koko said her village was beyond the Dueling Peaks, how was I supposed to know there was a whole ’nother village? Especially since I can’t read any of these Hylian signs.”

The girls traveled back down the mountain path leading from Hateno Village. As they were bypassing Fort Hateno, Kodama gasped. “Yuzu, hide!” They hid behind a rusted Guardian Stalker, watching as a band of Bulblins rode Bullbos into the mountains. They pulled carriages of large tarps, and Yuzu was quick to notice the Sheikah girl on the front carriage.

“Kodama, that’s Koko!”

“Koko?! Oh no, I wonder what they’re doing with her?”

The girls followed the demons in secret, until they eventually arrived at Kakariko Village, a once-peaceful place with Japanese-style houses. The Sheikah gathered in the center, murmuring to one-another in terror. “This child invaded Hyrule Castle and tried to assassinate Queen Mandy. By order of the queen, her hometown of Kakariko shall be held responsible!” a Bulblin announced.

Yuzu and Kodama climbed a cliff and were able to watch the scene. The demons threw off the tarps, revealing piles of various scrumptious foods. “This food was prepared with the most horrendous body parts severed from us demons! You will consume every last piece, or we will summon Smaug to reduce this village to ashes!”

“Koko, what’s the meaning of this?!” Mellie asked.

“I’m sorry, everyone! Look, just eat the food, it’ll be fine!” Koko pled.

“I will not be poisoned by this demonic filth!” Ollie declared. “I would rather fight until the bitter end!”

“To think they forced this sweet child to prepare this filth.” Nanna said.

“No!” a younger girl cried. “Big Sis doesn’t make poison! Koko’s food is always yummy!”

“That girl must be Cottla.” Yuzu assumed.

“We can’t let them eat that!” Kodama stated, preparing a firework. “I’ll blow that poisoned gunk sky high!”

“Don’t! Trust me…”

“I’ll prove it right now!” Cottla vowed, running up and grabbing a Monster Rice Ball off the pile (it resembled a normal rice ball, but was purple).

“NO, COTTLA!” pled Steen, but the child had quickly swallowed the whole pastry.

“UUAAAAAHH!” The taste threw Cottla into a state of euphoria. “It’s sooooo goooood! Everyone, grab a bite!! Koko’s cooking is the best!”

The demons could only look in confusion as the Sheikah gathered to take food off the carts. _“OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!”_ Their echoes of awe could be heard across the Dueling Peaks.

“So, this is what royals eat!” Claree beamed.

“The powers of Darkness have captivated me!” Rola said with tears.

“Oh, you’re so talented, young Koko!” Steen said.

“Don’t thank me!” Koko proclaimed proudly. “It was under Lord Mandy’s orders that I feed you all! ’Twas her gift for the Sheikah!”

“Is this really what Lord Mandy ordered?” a Bulblin asked.

“Of course it is! If you don’t believe me, you can ask her yourself.” _Like I would ever poison my own village, you dumb hag._

“I’m so proud of you, Koko.” Yuzu smiled.

“’kay, but let’s wait to tell her that.” Kodama replied. “If those demons are on official business, we’ll give ourselves away if we attack them.”

“What about the ones we were just fighting?”

“Those were just field troops, any passerby would fight them. We should try to stay out of trouble as much as we can…”

**Great Sea**

“So, Cindy, how are you enjoying our new planet so far?” Mandy asked as they sailed the vast sea on the _Boogey Coast_.

“Well, it’s better than the old one.” her daughter replied nonchalantly, lazily watching the waves through the railing. “Hey, if you’re the queen, does that make Dad the king?”

“We do not say a word about this to your father. As far as he knows, we’re still on that vacation in Timbuktu.”

“I sympathize with you entirely, Mother.”

**Endsville; Billy’s House**

Billy Cortix checked his mailbox and found a postcard. It depicted two (live-action) tourists in front of the ancient city, with Mandy and Cindy’s faces pasted on them. “I’m so glad my girls are having such a fun time at Timmy’s Buck Tooth.” he said with a teary smile.

**Great Sea**

Mandy then heard the eerie “Caaaaaaw” of a Kargarok, seeing the messenger bird gliding toward the vessel with an envelop in its talons. The queen held a hand up to catch the letter, the bird perching on the rail. She opened it. “It’s from my spy in the Sky God Pirates.” Mandy could tell by the cute, kiddish handwriting.

_Dear Lord Mandy,_

_It seems that Mustache Girl failed the World Rings mission, so that’s always nice! My crew and I are going to attack a cruise liner on Mushroom World; supposedly, the Mobian Chancellor is on it, and Mustache failed to capture her, too. She’s super useless, ufufu! I also snuck a look at a report sent by the spy in the Big Mom Pirates; it sounds like Big Mom is planning to take control of the Great Clock. That’s gonna make going to New Galaxia very hard, especially for Commander Serket. It also sounds like some people wanna overthrow Skaios. Perhaps I should help them, ufufu! Until then._

_-Li’l Despair_

“Captain, we’re nearing Dragon Roost Island.” the Helmsblin said. The island in question was a towering range of needle-like mountains, with the tallest mountain serving as the nest of a dragon. “We’ll be docking soon.”

“I’ll catch up with you then.” Mandy lifted her daughter and morphed into a Fear Sphere, soaring up the mountain.

“Sigh… no one ever wants to dock anymore.” The Helmsblin sighed.

“SHE’S COMING!” cried one of the Rito watchmen. “Get the children and elders inside!”

“Don’t even think about it!” Mandy shouted, trapping the watchman in a fear trance as she and her daughter reformed.

The Rito village consisted of wooden birdhouses built on the mountainside. With fear in their hearts, the avian citizens gazed up at Queen Mandy, who looked down upon them from the highest foothold. “As Queen of Hyrule, I have made it my mission to personally greet each and every major nation. Seeing as your kind manages this world’s media, I’m employing my Wizzrobes to oversee your business. This also involves your affiliation with Intergalactic News: they’re one of the few businesses I’ll allow trade with, but I get to decide which stories they hear about. I’m also imposing new taxes: 1,000 Rupees from every adult, and 500 from every child. Failure to follow these rules will result in your wings being clipped.”

“Caaaaawww…”

“Huh?” Mandy cocked a brow at the familiar sound. “Another Kargarok?”

This Kargarok was carrying a package by a rope. The Rito watched curiously as the queen took the package and cut it open. Mandy was stunned by the sight of the steaming purple pie. “This package is from Kakariko… I see. Koko must have just finished serving them, and they sent me one last poisonous pie out of spite. Well, I shouldn’t let this go to waste.” The queen raised her sword and cut the piece into even pieces. “ALL RITOS, send your children up here to eat this Devil’s Pie! That’s an order!”

“We get pie?!” a pink Rito named Notts asked happily.

“Don’t, Notts!” Laissa restrained her. “It’s a trick!”

“Do you see this?!” Mandy grabbed a small horn with a scary dragon head. “This Dragon Call is specially designed to summon Smaug to my location! The Sheikah are trying to poison me with this garbage, so now you’ll be punished in their stead! OBEY ME OR PERISH IN FIRE!”

“We’re not afraid of Smaug!” a white-feathered man named Teba vowed. “The Great Valoo will protect us! Right?!”

All Rito faced the highest mountain. The pudgy red dragon sat barely moving from his perch. _“Arroooooooo…”_ Valoo yawned.

“Oh… Valoo…” The Rito bowed their heads in disappointment.

“NOW!!” Mandy unleashed a Fear Scream, and out of panic, all the children in the village flew skyward.

“Guys, wait!” cried a 6-year-old Rito dodo girl named Dosey. “I can’t fly! Someone lift me up!”

The children reluctantly gathered around the queen, who spitefully dropped the pie pieces on the ground. “Eat, now! And if you throw up on my dress, I’ll call Smaug to behead your precious dragon!”

With hesitation, the Rito children took their first bites into the pie. _“CREEEEEEEEEE!”_ They could not mask their screams of joy.

“And don’t expect me to pay for your medicine-”

 _“DELICIOOOUUUUUUSSS!”_ The fledglings were so joyous that their bodies became light as feathers.

“W…What?!” Mandy choked.

“Can I give this pie to my mommy?! Pleeeaaaase?” pled Cree.

“It’s better than Salmon Meunière! …Almost.” Genli said.

“Thank you, Queen Mandy!” they chirped in unison.

“D…Delicious?” Mandy glanced down into the box, seeing one last piece of pie. She hesitantly picked it up—unknowingly, she picked up a small note with it, and it blew into the village. Mandy carefully took a bite of the pie. !!!!!!!

With tears streaming, Mandy sprouted angelic wings and was aloft into the heavens. _This pie… This recipe… It’s of a tier that could only be found among the Big Mom Pirates. I can taste the demonic essence… and yet, the horrifying flavor is nonexistent. It was mixed in a manner that filtered out the material that would poison mortals, thus creating a sensational dessert!_

The note from the package was caught by a village guard, who read it aloud. “‘Dear Queen Mandy, we graciously thank you for the amazing feast, and for returning Koko to us. Our bellies are full, so we wish to share with you the final remaining dessert, in the hopes it will bring you joy. Sincerely, the Sheikah of Kakariko.’”

“My, my, what an unexpected act of kindness.” an elderly goose woman replied with a smile. “Perhaps this entire ‘Nightmare Queen’ shtick was just an act.”

“Will we get more food if we pay taxes?” Genli asked. “Also, what’re taxes?”

“Wait, I want pie, too!” Dosey finally climbed up the cliff and trotted up to Mandy. “Queen Mandy, can I have pie? Please?”

The queen was still entranced by the heavenly taste, but her vision returned in the form of a pleading dodo. _“…An act… A shtick?”_ These words plagued her mind.

The Rito gasped horrifically when Mandy snatched Dosey by the wing. “YOU CALL THIS AN ACT?!”

“WAAAAAAAAHHHH!” The flightless Rito was thrown miles off the island and across the sea.

“NO!! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO MY DAUGHTER?!” the mother dodo cried.

“Ah told ya they shoulda stayed on the ground level.” A Rito crow woman said to her friend.

“Say, mah Murdo girl friend, what you think they DO down there at sea level?”

“Beats me, maybe they do **MCDONALDS**.”

“Hah! **MCDONALDS**! What a silly Land Rito thing to do, that Ah do not take part in at all! Heheh…”

“Now do you understand?!” Mandy announced. “Any person that even THINKS of insulting me will face similar-”

“WHEEEEE!” Then, she looked up agape when Dosey soared over the village.

“SHE’S FLYING?!” the crow ladies screamed.

“Dosey!” Her mother gazed at her child with pride. “She found her airbending!”

 _“Kuuooooooeeeeehh…”_ Mandy was so stunned, she forgot to breathe.

“Dosey could never summon her bending because of her fear of heights. Queen Mandy must have sensed that fear and helped Dosey conquer it!”

“Now I can finally go fly with all my friends!” Dosey circled the air above Mandy before taking land with the other kids. “Thank you, Queen Mandy!”

 _“We love Mandy! We love Mandy! We love Mandy!”_ The fledglings formed a ring and danced around the aghast queen. She couldn’t even decide on her next move.

“Pffffufufufufu…” Cindy could not restrain her smile, saliva squirting through her teeth. “Mom’s not scary.” And she joined the circle of dancing Rito. “Mom isn’t scaaaaary, Mom isn’t scaaaaary!”

**Kakariko Village**

“I thought something smelled funny with that food.” a Bokoblin said as the demons returned down the mountain road. “But how did Lord Mandy know that brat could filter out the harmful ingredients?”

“We’ll tell her about this after she returns.” a Tallblin replied.

Koko merely glared in their direction until the demons were out of sight. “Koko!” A voice averted her attention, seeing two girls running toward her.

Koko beamed at seeing her: “CHEF YUZU!” She excitedly ran up to her idol and bowed. “I’m so glad you’re here!! You just missed the feast, I wish you could’ve had a bite!”

“It’s OK, we saw the whole thing! I’m so proud of you, Koko; the way you mixed the ingredients was splendid!”

“But, how can you tell that?”

“Observation Haki.” Yuzu tapped the side of her head. “I use it to analyze just how recipes are put together and with what ingredients. I knew there was nothing poisonous in that pile just from looking! But the question is, how did this happen to begin with?”

“Mmm,” Koko murmured guiltily, “Mandy’s minions hurt Koko’s dad and she just wanted revenge. Koko doesn’t know what she was thinking.”

“Koko, Mandy is a Yonko, she’s one of the KND’s most dangerous criminals.”

“Yeah, but is she really?” Kodama asked. “I mean, she did a few bad things, but I always heard she tends to help us. Koko, you have any idea what she’s doing here?”

“She showed up out of nowhere and claimed the royal throne. Apparently, she proved she was Zelda’s descendant.”

“And now you’re supposed to accept her as your ruler?! Heck, Cheren could’ve claimed the throne in that regard!”

“Hmmm…” Yuzu stroked her chin, forming a plan in her mind. “Koko, you think there’s a chance those demons will come back for you? If Mandy hears how delicious your food was, what if she forces you to become her chef? At least, that’s the most merciful thing that could happen, considering you ruined her plan to poison the village.”

“N-N-Now Koko is more scared!” the girl shuddered.

“Koko, calm down! What I was gonna ask was, if that happens… do you think you could spy on them for us?”

“Oh, that’s a good idea!” Kodama beamed. “We have a few M.I.K.E.s in our Infi-Cube.” She reached in and retrieved a small device.

 

 **Kids Next Door: M.I.K.E.  
M**icro **I** ntel **K** eeping **E** xpedient

 

“If you could plant them around the castle and on yourself, we could receive the info on our communicators.”

“Koko’s a little worried, but…” Koko took and examined the M.I.KE., “if Chef Yuzu needs me, I can’t let her down!”

“In the meantime, we were thinking of exploring the country.” Yuzu replied. “We have a way of reporting intel to our KND.”

“My Sector Leader has a Zero Cycle! Koko will ask him to lend it to you. But it’s getting kinda late, and Hyrule’s pretty dangerous at night. Do you wanna spend the night at Koko’s?”

“That would be great! My feet are killing me. I wasn’t expecting such a lengthy mission.”

“And I feel like it’s about to get a lot more lengthy…” Kodama sighed.

**Hyrule Castle**

_Tidbits about the Boogey Divisions: Each division in the crew represents a major fear common in all mortals. The Nightmare Division, run by Mandy herself, represents Fear itself. The Flame Division, consisting of firebenders, represent Destruction. The Phantom Division, consisting of ghosts, represent Death. The Shadow Division, consisting of spies and assassins, represent Predators spying on you from the darkness. The Undead Animals represent Loss of loved ones. And the Anti-Fairies, spirits of Misfortune, represent such._

Azula, Cortez, and Rā’s al Ghūl gathered at a table with a globe of Planet Hyrule. “Sigh, it feels so nice to be ruler of a nation again.” Azula said, blissfully spinning the globe. “But let’s cut to the chase. We need to decide which territories we’ll be ruling over.”

“We don’t have nearly enough soldiers to establish complete control over this world.” Rā’s replied. “And many of our demons are still managing territories on other worlds. In any case… I’ll set my sights on Gerudo Desert. Not only do the Gerudo seem like capable soldiers, I hear the Yiga Clan lurks in the nearby canyons. Fans of demons as they are, they’ll certainly join our ranks.” 

“True, but isn’t there something _else_ you’re looking for?”

“Indeed.” Rā’s smirked. “I know there’s at least one Lazarus Pit on every planet, and I intend to find Hyrule’s. I’m sure the knowledge in the Secret Cellar can tell me where. It will be the 3rd Lazarus Pit I bathe in, and once I do, I will be even stronger. But first, I’ll need to find a mage to sacrifice for the pit.”

“As for me,” Azula followed, “I’ll do a bit of landscaping. Preferably the forests, as I burn them to the ground to make room for our factories! I’ll avoid the Kokiri Forest for now. I also wouldn’t mind setting up a circus and finding performers to partake in life-or-death stunts. Just like the good old days.”

“Ay’ll take to the seas.” Cortez decided, stabbing a sword into the ocean on the globe. “I ’ave me eye set on the Phantom Sea, amigos. Beasts aplenty inhabit these depths, and the weather be nigh unpredictable. Ay’ve already sent General Bellum to scour the waters.”

“Don’t just stab your sword into that!” Azula shouted.

“Oi, it be a bloomin’ Zanpakutō!” Cortez withdrew the cutlass, revealing nary a scratch on the map. “A spirit sword, you moza! It won’t cut unless I tell it.”

“Ahahahahahahaha!” The three were approached by a skinny, psychotic woman. She had orange hair that shaped like horns, similar to Mandy, a green jumpsuit with black scratch marks, along with yellow gloves and boots. Her tongue dangled through her sharp teeth. “Blag blag blag, seeing you guys talk is sooooo boring! When am I gonna get to do some baby-shredding, uhn?!” Metal claws grew from her fingers.

_This lovely woman’s name is Vicky the Baby-Shredder. Once a Teen Ninja under The Steve, Vicky was an infamous babysitter who physically tortured her clients’ children. In her adult years, she had never abandoned this hobby and was declared “mentally insane.” She was rescued from prison by Mandy’s crew and became a Torture Warden. She had eaten the Blade-Blade Fruit, lent to the Teens by Darth Genious, and can turn any part of her body into a blade._

“We’ve already captured some operatives and locked them in the castle playroom.” Azula replied. “I know Mandy ordered you to ‘rehabilitate’ the world’s operatives, so why aren’t you doing your job?”

“WELL, SHOOOOOOOOT, I can’t find my way through this big damn castle! So many halls and stairs and secret paths—and I’m about to make another one! Catch ya later, jackasses!” She made a chainsaw out of her hand and cut a hole in the floor, dropping in. _“WAHOOOOOO—OW, I hit my pelvis against the chainsaw! Didn’t hurt, though…”_

“Sigh, that girl.” Azula said. “At any rate… starting tomorrow, we’ll begin our ‘excavations.’”

“Speak for yerself, lassie.” Cortez claimed. “Ay can storm the seas for a hundred nights straight, and Ay’ll get started as soon as I quench me thirst with ghostly cocoa. …Not that I have buds to taste with. Yohohohohohohohoho!”

Unbeknownst to the commanders, Kimaya and Django were eavesdropping. “It’s just as I figured.” Django said. “That bastard’s more high on Lazarus than Carter was. But we won’t let him get his hands on this one.”

“You ain’t gotta worry ’bout nothin’, home bud.” Kimaya replied confidently. “Rotting Corpse poisonbending will make destroying that stank pit a synch. But not before Ah kill the old fart first.”

**_Boogey Coast_ **

Mandy had collapsed on her bed, head throbbing after the humiliating events that just transpired. “This can’t be… It’s impossible. I’m Lord Mandy, the Queen of Fear! People have been scared of me since kindergarten! How…How could this have possibly happened?!”

_“What’s wrong, Lord Mandy?” The queen gasped, suddenly enveloped in a colorful dimension. A giant scarecrow-like face rotated around her, singing loudly with its big mouth. “Are we having trouble with our look?” Mandy tried to cut him down to no avail. “How quite absurd for an Emperor. You TRIED to be FEARED… but I’m afraid you just aren’t scary, dear! MANDY!” She was thrown into the air by hundreds of applauding Hyruleans. “Hail our kind Queen MANDY!” And up she went again. “Big thanks to great Queen MANDY!” She could hear the cheers of children. “We love you, sweet Queen MANDYYYYY!”_

“AAAGH!” Mandy destroyed the illusion with a burst of chi, panting. “It was…It was Horror’s Hand. I’m still being plagued by the nightmares Affright gave me. I need to conquer this fear once and for all! Or else this world will never fear me… and I’ll become the laughingstock all over again.”

 

**I don’t know if I mentioned this, but another trait with Observation Haki is that, aside from being used for battle, it heightens a person’s ability to study something regarding their field of expertise. For instance, inventors can instinctively determine what parts make up a robot, and computer experts can tell a website’s code without physically seeing it. Vicky is from _Fairly OddParents_ , and she’s the only Devil Fruit user in the crew.**

“Hello, everyone, this is Omsoc.” The Anti-Fairy showed up onscreen. “Because the attention span of the passing reader is very low, I will now attempt to simplify this chapter for you. Ahem:” He took out a paper and began reading: “‘Plot plot plot, worldbuilding worldbuilding, plot plot mildly shocking twist, character revelation, setup setup, plot.’ There. Are you happy now?!”


	4. Rely on Kindness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mandy begins to consider that perhaps her generosity isn't a bad thing? Karin and Panini get into a fight with one of Mandy's generals.

**Wow, that new _One Piece_ stole my breath. The return of Blackbeard, baby! Which means I gotta keep this Emperor Train rollin’!**

****

**_

Chapter 4: Rely on Kindness

_**

****

**Hyrule Castle; past midnight**

Azula couldn’t remember the last time she slept in a nice, comfy castle. She missed the cozy bed, warm blanket, non-swaying room, and the videogame noises… wait, that part was new to her.

Whatever these strange noises were, they were annoying. Dressed in her red nightgown and hair drooping, the former princess stomped over to her door and pushed it open. Hearing the sounds more loudly, the commander marched down the castle hall in bare feet. The sounds originated from Mandy’s bedroom, and a faint light leaked from the gaps. The Darknut guards didn’t try to stop their superior as Azula barged in.

With bags in her eyes, Mandy was locked in _Super Smash Bros._. “Mandy, it’s midnight! Honestly, you’re lucky Castle Town burned down or they’d be calling the police!” It should be noted Azula is one of the few people who could show such attitude to Mandy.

“Nnn, be quiet, Azula, I’mma beat the crap out of this damn turtle.”

“Good Lord, you’re drunk again. Mandy, a good queen needs a good night’s sleep.”

“NYARH!” She threw the controller at Azula. “Don’t ever call me a good queen AGAIN, ya…ya ‘good’ demolisher!” She resumed playing… but her fingers only mashed the air: her controller was gone. “You idiot… because of you, this damn turtle’s gonna make off with my princess. Why does she like turtles more than me?!”

Azula rolled her eyes and walked over with the controller. “Mandy, what’s bothering you now? Did the first day on the job not go very well?”

“Nnnnn… It went terrific. Terrific in the worst possible way. That damn Sheikah girl tricked me. She gave them all delicious food when it was supposed to poison them. Now everyone thinks I’mma saint…”

“Oh, you poor thing. But if you ask me, this problem is salvageable. All you have to do is send Smaug to burn Kakariko! That’ll send Hyrule the message you want. You want me to send word to him right now?”

“Nnnnnnnn…” Mandy shut her eyes and stroked the lids. “I…I…I wanna say ‘yes’… but my mouth won’t listen! Why won’t my mouth shut up?!”

“I think I know why: you simply don’t have the heart for it.” Azula shook her head. “You may have powerful Fear Chi… but your kind actions contradict your threats and your effect on people.”

“WAAAAAAAAAaaaaahhh!” Mandy collapsed on the floor, bawling.

“Oh, get ahold of yourself, Mandy. I never thought generosity was a bad thing. Do you know how I first became friends with Mai and Ty Lee? They asked to be friends in order to climb up the social ladder. And I, the generous Azula, approved. From then, I continued to grant other generous favors for them, and do you know why?”

“Why?”

“Because it put them in debt to me.” Azula smirked wickedly. “My kindness made them feel gratitude, and that gratitude became fear. I was unselfishly generous because I could manipulate them into doing what I asked, make them feel guilty over using my power for their own gain. So, you see, Mandy, you can’t rely on fear to control people. You rely on kindness.”

“Rely on… kindness?” Mandy gazed at her open palms. “Use kindness… to invoke fear? Even after becoming Logia, after years of honing my element… I’ve felt so weak. Is this what I’ve been missing?”

“There’s only one way to find out. Perhaps you should take a break from being a Fear Queen, and present yourself as a kind queen instead. After all… the first step to conquering your fear is to face it. …Well, after you get some sleep, that is.”

**The next morning; Hyrule Field**

The sun was barely lighting the lush fields as Kodama and Yuzu crossed the country on a motorcycle made of Sheikah Tech. “Yeehaaaaaaa!” cheered Kodama, her head leaned over the steering wheel. Her eyes were wide with excitement, and she refused to blink, no matter how much wind pounded her face. “I tell ya, Yuzu, these Hylians REALLY know how to breathe the wild!!”

“Kodama, if we’re going to be exploring Hyrule for awhile, have you thought about where we’re going to stay?” Yuzu asked, hugging the driver’s waist. “We don’t even have Rupees.”

“No problem, we’ll just find them under rocks or in trees and stuff. Minish are as active here as they are on Earth.”

“True, but there’s one other thing that concerns me: Mandy’s new laws decree that Hyruleans can’t discriminate against demons. Does that mean we can’t fight them?”

“No, it means we can’t attack them without just cause, but if they attack first, it’s our right to defend ourselves. …Well, if Mandy’s the queen, maybe not, so we’re screwed either way, hehe.”

“Why don’t we park somewhere and check with our teammates? It also wouldn’t hurt to find the nearest village on our M.A.P..”

**Hyrule Castle**

As if according to Yuzu and Kodama’s predictions, a gang of Lizalfos dragged Koko back to the castle, dropping her at Mandy’s throne. The young Sheikah faced the queen with little fear in her eyes. “So, you had the gall to trick me.” Mandy said.

“You ordered me to cook the demon parts and serve them to Kakariko. I figured you meant for me to poison them, but you never specified.” Koko replied with a firm tone. “But even if you had, I would never hurt someone with my food, even enemies.”

“You know, this morning, I had the Dragon Call in my hand, and I was about to have Kakariko burned before I ate breakfast. But your little stunt has given the people a better impression of me. And it was then I realized… maybe I can use you to my advantage.”

“You want me to be your personal chef?”

“Yes, but not just for me. I want to take you on my journey around the kingdom. If the Hyruleans love your cooking, they will love me for serving it to them.”

“You want to use my cooking to gain favor with the populace?”

“Refusal to cooperate will result in the destruction of-”

“You really admire my cooking that much?!” Koko’s eyes began to water, a crescent grin lighting her face. “Do you know what an honor this is for Koko?”

“This isn’t gonna be a cakewalk, brat! Hyrule has a ton of races and tribes, and they all have different tastes.”

“Koko knows! Koko visits a lot of KND sectors and learns what they like to eat. She even keeps a recipe book!” She presented a book labeled _Koko’s Recipes_. “Just give Koko the right ingredients and she’ll cook whatever’s appropriate for any race!”

“As long as it boosts my reputation, you’ll have all the ingredients you could possibly need. Now, let’s get to work!”

**Great Sea**

Karin and Panini slept outside a horse stable for the night. Afterwards, Karin became a ghost and carried her comrade past the shore and over the ocean. Because of all the demons that seemed to occupy the sea, either on platforms or in small battleships, Karin had to make them invisible and/or take detours. Doing so consumed her energy, so they would rest at unoccupied islands in their flight path. Right now, the girls stopped on Greatfish Island, a ruin of an island that was divided into five, upturned landmasses.

“Flying over the ocean is usually a good stress-reliever.” Karin said as they rested their feet in the shallow waves. The girls were on a narrow beach at the base of a small trench. “Now it’s just super stressful.”

“Ya better not be callin’ me heavy!” Panini rebutted.

“Girl, look at your anatomy compared to mine. You’re super heavy!”

“Excuse me for not being half-dead.”

A few miles offshore, a telescope emerged from the surface and peered at the operatives. A band of demon pirates were occupying a submarine with a barrel design. “Captain, I think I just spotted the ghost girl and her friend.” explained a pink Bokoblin. “They look way too suspicious.”

“I’ve already sent word to General Bellum.” replied a Big Blin. “I don’t know how strong they are, but if they’re fast, he’ll catch them no doubt.”

“Oi, the fog is already rolling in.”

“That means he’s here. We’ll wait for his signal.”

Much to the girls’ confusion, the sun was blocked by the arrival of thick white fog. “Oh, great. Now it’s chilly.” Panini said, quickly stepping out of the water.

“Panini, there’s something weird about this fog. I can almost feel a spiritual presence…”

 _Psshoooooo!_ The whistle of a missile ruptured the air.

“PANINI!” Karin grabbed her friend and took flight seconds before the beach was destroyed by a missile. “Dammit, they must’ve spotted us a while back. Let’s fly straight through!” She turned them invisible and flew steadfast forward, evading any further missiles. “Ugh, this fog goes on forever.” Karin complained, becoming visible. “Can you still track Cheren’s-”

A Reapling appeared from the fog and lashed its scythe, striking Karin as the two fell. The girls crashed on the deck of a dark ship, which had a large, horned skull figurehead, lanterns to serve as headlights, and the label _Phantom Hour_. Reaplings surrounded them with scythes raised. “Bloop bop boooo. Who are these little phantoms haunting Cortez’s sea?” A squid-like being floated toward them: it had five purple tentacles with an eye on each, a yellow central body, and a larger eye within its mouth, peering at the girls. His likeness was reflected on the ship’s mainsail. “You’ve got some ’splaining to do, girls.”

“Who are you, ya disgusting excuse for a _Kirby_ boss?!” Panini retorted.

“That’s Bellum to you, little missy! To say such a rude remark, you must be brimming with life force.”

“Bellum? Wait…” Karin pulled out her Soul Phone and scanned the monster. “Bellum the Sea Phantom, wanted with a bounty of 650,000,000 Mon, who once served as one of Davy Jones’ Division Commanders. You’re a known criminal in the Spirit World!”

“And you naughty things look like KND operatives. Lord Mandy has made it clear that your kind is banned, but I’m sure she won’t mind a few statues in her castle!” (Play “Keeper of Lust” from _Persona 5_!)

Bellum lashed all five tentacles at the two, but Karin sliced them with her Zanpakutō while Panini defended with flames. “Bankai!” Karin declared, her sword morphing into a soccer ball with a spirit flame. The Reaplings closed in on them, but with a mighty kick, the Soul Soccer bounced around all the Reaplings like a lightning-fast cannonball, blasting them off so fast that their ghostly bodies dispersed. “Now I’ll go for the goal!” Karin shot skyward, and when her ball returned, she dealt another great kick directly at Bellum’s central eye. The soccer drilled against the sealed lid before bouncing off, the massive eye popping wide open. “That shell is stronger than it looks.”

“I bet ya use the other eyes to see!” Panini declared, slashing flame whips at the tentacles again. Bellum hastily maneuvered his tentacles before snatching Panini, only for her to burn herself free. “I bet sea demons aren’t a fan of Underworld flames! FIRE BUNNY FURY!” Panini unlocked her Fire Gate as emerald flames ignited her body, her twin ponytails taking the form of fiery rabbit ears.

An angered Bellum stuck his tentacles into the deck, melding his body with the ship as eyes grew on it. Half the eyes locked onto each girl, blasting ghostly cannonballs. Panini rapidly hopped around the air and used her strengthened feet to kick them back into the eyes, whilst Karin dodged the ammo and used quick, consecutive kicks to destroy the eyes with her soccer. “Karin to Yachiru, requesting assistance!” she yelled to her Soul Phone. “I’m fighting Bellum, repeat, Bellum the Sea Phantom on Hyrule’s ocean!”

Karin heard the whistling missiles again, seeing the projectiles descending; shark faces were painted on them. She began to destroy them with Ecto Beams, leaving Panini to destroy the ship’s eyes. Panini launched down and gripped Bellum’s eyelid, pulling it open with all her strength. “AAAAHHH!” The rabbit’s fire burned the bulbous eye. A tentacle popped out of the deck and shot a sticky pink goop, but Panini dodged by flipping in the air and stamping her foot into the eye. “YOOOOOOWW!” Bellum desperately grabbed Panini and threw her off, burning a tentacle in the process. “Oh, my eye! My eye, my eye! Cubus Sisters, where’s my eye drops?! Bring me my damn eye drops!”

“Right here, sister!” Karin declared, blasting the Soul Soccer directly at the eye, but four hideous ghosts intercepted and kicked it simultaneously. The Cubus Sisters had forced grins, orange eyes, horns, and wore a red, blue, yellow, and green ragged cloak respectively.

“These bullies aren’t playing fair.” said Joelle, the red sister.

“Meg, give Lord Bellum the eye drops.” ordered Beth, the yellow sister.

“What?! I thought Amy had it!” Meg, the purple one, argued.

“I knew you would forget.” Amy, the green one, remarked.

“Why are you four so damn useless?!” Bellum shouted.

Karin kicked her ball at Meg, who was forced downward, but the other three quickly stacked up behind her and broke the fall. They returned the ball, but Karin kicked it at Bellum, only for Joelle to do a roundhouse kick back to her. Karin did a vertical rounded kick, but it was returned by Amy, the ball going behind Karin, but with a flip-kick, the ball shot underwater. The sisters looked around until the ball blew up through the ship and struck Joelle, Amy, Beth, then Meg with supreme momentum.

Meanwhile, Bellum reached a tentacle in the ship’s pantry and retrieved eye drops, dipping them on himself. “OOOOOH, BABY!” His full strength returned like a Fountain of Youth. “Boy, do I fucking love eye drops!!” Bellum took to the air and stretched his tentacles, all six eyes open and facing Karin directly. “Dark Light BEAM!” Five small lasers connected the small eyes with the big eye, which in turn unleashed a beam of darkness. Karin flew evasively as the beam tried to follow her. Karin flew above, tossed her soccer up, and kicked it directly into the beam, pressing ever downward as energy spewed around like a fountain.

Sadly, the Dark Beam prevailed and pushed the ball back, even as Karin stamped down on it. “Huh?!” To her surprise, twin Song Beams descended and applied extra power, completely forcing the Dark Beam back into Bellum’s eye. Karin faced up, almost surprised at seeing the Spirit KND operatives who had come to her rescue. “You guys made it!”

“Yo, Karin, you found yourself one hell of a freakshow!” Beat remarked.

“Does he kiss his mom with that mouth?!” followed his sister, Rhyme. Alongside them were their teammates from Sector REAP: an orange-haired boy named Neku, a teenage male Nimbi named Joshua, and a large-hatted girl named Shiki.

“Can you guys take it from here?” Karin asked. “We’re trying to find someone.”

“You can count on us.” Joshua replied with an assuring smile. “Take that human to safety.”

Karin swooped down and grabbed Panini, whose Fire Fury had wore off. They took flight beyond the fog as the five spirit operatives surrounded Bellum. “Blip blop boo… At this rate, I may need to call Cortez…” Bellum said.

“We won’t give you the chance!” Shiki declared. (End song.)

**Outset Island**

At long last, Karin and Panini arrived at an island where the seas were calm. They landed at the top of a mountain to catch their breath, left with torn clothes and no shoes after their sudden battle. Karin received a call from Yuzu. _“Karin-nee, are you there? You haven’t been answering my calls.”_

“Sorry, Yuzu. We got into a fight with some demons, but we escaped. How’re you doing?”

Yuzu recapped the plan they had set for Koko. _“And it seems like we were right.”_ Kodama followed. _“They brought her back to the castle and she started setting M.I.K.E.s. By the sound of things, Mandy is trying to give the people a better impression of her using Koko’s cooking.”_

“Well, I hope she doesn’t get discovered. Keep us posted, we’ll get back to you.” Transmission ended. “Hoo… Now to find Cheren.”

The two heard footsteps coming up the mountain path. They saw a head of blonde hair rising up, and Panini soon recognized her as Biscuit Krueger. “Oh, it’s just you. I sensed two figures show up on the mountain and thought it was Mandy’s soldiers.”

“Where is Cheren?”

Bisky led them down the mountain, to a small and peaceful village. They crossed a pier and climbed a ladder to a tall lookout platform, where Cheren lay asleep in tattered clothes. “I made him go into the Savage Labyrinth armed with only his fists and legs. It’s a dungeon with tons of monsters that get stronger as you go deeper. I gotta say, he grasped the fundamentals of Haki in a pretty short amount of time. His prior combat experience was a major asset to this.”

“Then is he finally ready to come back and lead us? ’Cause we could SERIOUSLY use him!”

“Sadly, he’s not. However, after resting him up, it’ll finally be time for his final trial. Or should I say, his final 100 Trials.”

“You guys have a Pit of 100 Trials?” Karin asked.

“So does every planet!”

“And I suppose you won’t let me tell him that another one of his sectors was captured?” Panini asked.

“That… would put a hindrance in his training, yeah.”

“Sigh… Karin, you might as well go find your teammates or somethin’. I’ll be staying here a while.”

“Really? Well, I’m gonna rest first, for one thing. If you need me, just call.” She climbed down.

Panini cracked her knuckles, and Bisky remained still. “Have at it.” said the Drill Sergeant.

 _“YAAAAAAHH!”_ The people of Outset heard a shout, followed by violent beating sounds.

“Kids, maybe you shouldn’t play up there today.” a mother told her children.

“Yaaaaawn…” Cheren woke from his slumber, barely feeling the pain from his battles. “I can’t believe I survived… Bisky, you shoulda seen the way I handled those Darknuts…?”

His trainer was faced away, applying makeup to hide her bruises. For a second, Cheren thought he noticed one. “Bisky, did… something happen?”

“Hm? No, nothing!” She faced him with a beaming smile. “Good news, Cheren, you’re ready for your final test!”

“Aw, sweet! Where we heading this time?”

“The Korok Forest. …However, I think there’s something you should know. Bluntly put, your Aunt Mandy has taken over Hyrule.” She showed him a newspaper.

“WHAT THE FRICK?!”

“Calm down! I’m just as confused as you are, but I won’t allow you to see her until you’ve finished your training!”

“Sigh… Well, this will be a fun reunion. I can only imagine how that girl’s twisting this world.”

 **Across the kingdom** (Play the Opening to _That Girl_!)

Lake Hylia was famous for its Watertop Land amusement park, and today, hundreds were lining up to ride Lord Mandy’s Carrier Kargaroks. Making sure the children were all strapped to the straddles, the queen ordered their takeoff. The multiracial kids cheered with joy, but the Goron kids quickly became too heavy for the large birds. Sadly, the Kargaroks plummeted. The parents gasped, but Mandy dove into the lake and swam beneath them, extending giant hands of fear to catch the Kargaroks, struggling to hold up their immense weight. To top it off, one of the Zora riders threw up on her head from 50 meters in the air. The parents cheered, all the while enjoying Koko’s hotdogs and pizza.

Newspapers were going around, and the headline was _Lord Mandy Saves Gorons from Drowning! Allows Rito kids to eat fish vomit off her head!_

Hytopia was a small kingdom north of the mainland, beyond its Great Ridge. It was famous for its fashion, but infamous for discriminating people with round ears. At this very moment, a group of aspiring soldiers were forbidden entry into the training camp, due to their round-earred heritage. But Mandy walked up to King Tuft, held up a pointed pizza slice, and cut the tip off with her sword. Taking the hint with a gulp, the round-earred humans were allowed into training. This, combined with Koko’s Stylish Soup, made them very happy.

_Lord Mandy Ends Human Discrimination in Hytopia! Rumors that the Krueger Family’s daughter eloped with a peasant boy?_

Cortez’s ship, the _Black Skull_ , docked at a port as dozens of tourists boarded. The undead captain laughed and smiled with the aura of a welcoming host, his Ember minions serving food cooked in the castle’s very kitchens. The ghost ship sailed treacherous waters that no other cruise liner would dare venture. The kids also took apart Cortez’s bones and had sword fights with them, and they played volleyball with his skull.

_Dreaded Ghost Ship Becomes Special Cruise Liner! Who Wore It Better? Gerudo Chief Riju or Goron Princess Sangoro?_

As days flew by, Sector JP continued to read newspapers of Mandy’s kind deeds. She had collected water from Forest Haven and had it delivered to Koroks around the world, who needed it to grow their trees. She had cut down almost a hundred trees and given them to Bolson Construction, who would build homes over the newly desolate land. Her Ice Demons helped cargo trains deliver ice from Anouki villages to hot regions, without letting too much melt.

_Lord Mandy Finds 120 Korok Seeds: The first person to care about them in 200 years!_

_Lord Mandy Exterminates a House Full of Skulltulas: Rumors that Mandy has a spider for a son._

_The Deku Tree Releases his Tea-Making Secrets: Koroks Are NOT An Ingredient?!_ (End song.)

**Dragon Roost Island**

“Breaking news, Master!” a Wizzrobe shouted. “Lord Mandy just fixed a dog’s leg just in time for the Doggy Grand Prix!”

“Ooooo bluh bluh bluh!” laughed Master Wizzrobe, a parrot being in an orange robe and Incan crown. “Our queen has made the headline for 10 days in a row! Hurry up and get this copied!”

“As you say, fellow Wizzrobe journalist!” replied a crow Rito in a trenchcoat. “I am so honored, to be a Wizzrobe, in Mandy’s crew, and not affiliated with the Kremling Krew, in any way—SHAPE—or form.” He faced left and right in a twitchy manner. “Say, now that you have mentioned this topic, do you know what cheat code Mandy uses to beat K. Rool in their favorite competitive game?”

“Quit stuttering and print the damn paper!”

“I see, I see! **Achievement Unlocked: WHY?** is a very clever cheat, and we had best hope K. Rool, does not come by this knowledge.” The crow zipped away and quickly dialed a number. _“Kroctus-sama, Kroctus-sama! Uminuh uminuh UMINUH!”_

**Eldin’s Flank; north of Death Mountain**

The earth around Death Mountain was a pinkish-red with the most minimal plant life. Jinta and Ururu traveled along Eldin’s Flank, which lay just between Death Mountain and the Great Ridge, a gaping and vacant chasm that divided this continent from the next. “Man, Hyrule sucks.” Jinta said. “Dumb horses too scared to come up a dumb volcano, making us walk everywhere… and why didn’t the Gorons have an easier way down here? This is THEIR mountain!”

“Keep your voice down, Jinta-kun. Smaug might hear us.” Ururu spoke softly.

The pair had just made a perilous journey up Death Mountain and visited the Gorons. Based on what they gathered, Smaug’s lair was hidden deep beneath Death Mountain, its entrance within the cliff of the Great Ridge. An ancient Dragon’s Lullaby was played to lull Smaug into an eternal slumber, lest he be rudely awakened by an outside force. The Gorons used earthbending to seal the entrance to the cave, but this all took place 3,900 years ago.

Jinta gasped, “Ururu, get down!” They crouched, seeing a small, dark figure descending down the ridge.

Ururu zoomed the vision on her visor. “Jinta, it’s the Anti-Fairy Princess. Sivam, I think?”

“Well, don’t just stand there, follow her! She might be going to Smaug.”

“F-F-Follow her?”

“You’re the spy, aren’t you? Just come back if something bad happens.”

“Right…” Mustering her courage, Ururu shrank and flew after the fairy. With fly-like speed, she bypassed the cliff a lot faster than she would on foot, but flying over the gaping Great Ridge was almost overwhelming to the Tiny Devil’s heart. If she were knocked out of the air, her wings broken, she might never be found at the bottom of that darkness.

Ururu eventually began to see the gaping entrance to a cave come into view. As expected, Sivam flew inside it, so Ururu flew faster to keep up. Going inside the cave was like entering the mouth of a tremendous, hungry beast. Ururu had only Sivam to guide her, but she kept a safe distance behind the Anti-Fairy, fearing any enhanced senses she might have. Still, Ururu had to admit the fairy was beautiful in her own way. She was a big fan of bat wings on any attire; heck, she was flying with makeshift bat wings on her very suit.

Ururu gasped, immediately hiding behind a pebble when Sivam stopped and about-faced. Though her face bore a dimwitted expression, she thought she heard an annoying buzzing. Sivam hated bugs, no matter how inconsequential they were. Sivam took a whiff of the ash in the air and, “ACHOO!”

Her sneeze caused a stalactite to fall directly above Ururu. Her life flashed before her eyes; although she had plenty of time to dodge, she feared that Sivam would sense her movement. Sivam waited until the stone’s tip made contact with the ground and shattered. “Ahhh, now I gots room for more snot.” Sivam said with satisfaction, continuing onward. When no one said “bless you,” Sivam’s misfortune only increased.

However, tiny Ururu had thrown her fist up at just the right time, her super strength breaking the stalactite. “Owwww…” She rubbed her knuckles, praying she would get to treat them soon. Ururu kept flying, staying low to the ground and landing every few seconds to keep from being heard.

An echoing, monstrous snoring filled the air. Finally, they arrived at a massive temple that served as Smaug’s lair, his nest in the form of a mountain of gold and jewels. _“Yaaaaaawwwwwn…”_ The great dragon woke when an unpleasant smell hit his nose. It was the smell of someone who hadn’t bathed in 6,000 years. His slit reptilian eyes fell upon the fairy in question. _“Hello, Sivam. Is patrol going well?”_

“I wish. Bellum got in a fight with some spirit operatives, but we ain’t find anyone else weird. Give me a fire bath, Smaug.”

 _“With pleasure.”_ Smaug blew a gentle breath over Sivam, setting her ablaze.

“Ohhhhhhhhh yaaaaaaaaassssss.” Sivam’s dress burned off her blackened, bare body. “Like, fuck fairies all day, dragons are sooooo hooooot.” She twirled in the air, and for a moment, Ururu shut her eyes from a hideous sight. Luckily, Sivam’s hair blocked the back of her body, and she remained facing Smaug during this talk. “You’re the absolute best, Smaugy.”

 _“As are you, Sivy.”_ Smaug closed his eyes as the fairy pressed herself to his snout, embracing in their warmth and coldness respectively.

“Are those two… seriously in love?” Ururu whispered.

_“Still, I could never have imagined an ordinary human achieving such power.”_

“Finding Anti-Fairy World was a piece of cow pie, it’s like they beg Ralava to barge into their turf. Then it was just a matter of finding this baby!” Sivam raised her wand, which had a white hilt, black jewel, and bat wings. “The Ztar Rod, source of misfortune in Anti-Fairy World. Any average Joe that tries to pluck it goes kerploop, but it found a strange liking to me. What REALLY sucked though is I became a smelly fairy.”

_“Yes… Even more unlucky that we dragons are impervious to magic.”_

“Yeh, but good thing my magic can help ya, too. I already cursed this whole planet with misfortune; breaking mirrors, going under ladders, spilling salt, stepping on cracks, we ain’t gonna make living here easy! It’ll take someone a whole lotta luck to hit your weak spot, but their luck ran out the second I set foot on the planet!”

“So, he has a weak spot.” Ururu said, scanning the beast. “But where? He’s covered in armor head to toe.”

“Achoo!” Sivam sneezed, the force of her nostrils blowing some of the coins apart. Ururu gasped when a coin rolled her very direction, reacting on impulse to punch it away.

How unfortunate that Smaug caught sight of that very coin. It was such an unusual phenomenon to seemingly bounce off nothing. The dragon blew fire at that very spot, and Ururu dodged with a skip of her tiny heart. She took that as her cue to fly the heck out.

_“Sivam, would you sneeze in that direction?”_

“Okay?” The princess inhaled ash through her nose and, “ACHOO! ACHOO!” Small rocks fell in convenient places throughout the cave, narrowly missing Ururu.

 _“Somehow, I don’t think those are merely insects.”_ The dragon stormed down the cave, blasting flames.

Jinta grew worried when he saw flames burst from the cliffside. “Ururu, did something happen?!”

_“Jinta-kun, get away from the cliff!”_

_“RAAAAAAHHH!”_ The dragon greeted the atmosphere with a cry, soaring above the cliff to view the mountain. Ururu returned and landed on Jinta’s shoulder, the boy firmly clasping his giant baseball bat. The dragon’s deathly gaze fell upon them. _“Come to play ball with me, boy? Well, here comes the pitch.”_ Smaug molded the flames in his lungs before coughing a meteor.

 

**The scene where Ururu’s following Sivam is kind of a reference to _Wendy’s Mistake_ , when Wendy followed Mavis, and it’s funny ’cause Ururu kind of resembles Wendy. Sector REAP is from _World Ends With You_ , and Bellum is from _Phantom Hourglass_ ; in an earlier draft for the Gameverse, he was one of Ganon’s henchmen, and he essentially replaced Davy Jones.**


	5. Gratitude Crystals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mandy looks inside herself to examine the new state of her Fear Chi. Meanwhile, Kimaya and Django set off on a personal mission.

**I feel like Fear is one of the more underused elements in the series, but we’re exploring a new side to it today!**

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Chapter 5: Gratitude Crystals

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**Eldin’s Flank**

Imbuing his bat with Haki, Jinta destroyed the massive fireball with a mighty swing, but reacted swiftly to dodge Smaug’s hammering head. “Hey, can’t a kid go for a nice walk without a dragon sticking its neck in his business?!” Jinta tried to retreat, but Smaug landed in his path and blew fire, the boy raising his bat in defense. Smaug ceased and grunted when something small began to sting his eyes, shutting them as he swung his head about.

“WAAAAH!” Ururu screamed, taking the blow and crashing against the mountainside. If not for her durability, the Tiny Devil would be splat by now. Though Smaug remained unaware to her presence, he instinctively blew fire in her direction, so Ururu hurriedly flew away. Jinta could tell he was targeting her, so the boy ran up and struck one of Smaug’s claws. This had no effect as the dragon smacked him away, Jinta falling off the cliff. “JINTA-KUN!” Ururu saw him and flew down as fast as possible, but remained tiny in order to carry an element of surprise.

She managed to bypass her falling friend, get underneath, and threw her hands up against his stomach. Jinta’s immense weight brought her down a tad, but she regained herself and mustered all her strength to prevent their descent. It still astonished Jinta that she could be so strong while still being so little. Smaug peered over the cliff, astonished by the fact this human could apparently fly. “Ururu, didn’t you say he had a weak spot somewhere?”

“He didn’t say where it was.”

“If you fly around his body, you think you can spot it?”

“Are you crazy?! We should try to get away from this thing! You saw what happened to Sakura, and you dropped your bat in the chasm!”

“But if we can find out his weakness now, we can develop a strategy later.”

 _“Where you going, boy?!”_ Smaug began to fly after them, blasting fireballs that they narrowly dodged. Jinta ordered her to drop him onto his back, so Ururu complied, shifting upward and suddenly pulling back. To Smaug’s surprise, Jinta landed on him, clasping one of his spine blades with one hand and trying to punch him with the other. _“What pitiful act of rebellion is this?”_ Smaug twisted his head to see the little prey. _“My armor is like tenfold shields, which even the most powerful warriors cannot penetrate.”_

Ururu flew underneath the dragon, scanning for a weak spot. “His stomach looks like a different color. But it doesn’t seem like… wait a minute, that’s gold! Is that from the treasure he was sleeping on?! Jinta-kun, I think the weak spot is on his belly, but he covered it with gold!”

“He’s gotta have SOME other weak spot!” Jinta yelled into his communicator.

 _“WHAT other weak spot?!”_ Smaug suddenly flipped, Jinta holding tight. _“I knew it! There IS someone else with you, someone smaller! But luck isn’t with you today, brats!”_ The dragon slammed his back against the cliff, but Jinta pressed his Haki arms to either side to prevent a more fatal impact, resulting in bloody arms. Ururu gasped in horror, knowing Jinta could not survive that a second time. When Smaug readied to smash him again, the Tiny Devil swooped by and grabbed Jinta by the collar, carrying him off just in time.

“I knew this was a bad idea.” Ururu said, looking back at the dragon. “We’ll be lucky if we get out of here…?” Her visor scanned a particular spot on the left side of Smaug’s chest. “Oh! Jinta-kun, I think I found-”

“ZTAR STORM!” Princess Sivam cast a black beam to the sky, and black stars rained everywhere.

“AAAAAHH!” The Ztars struck Jinta and Ururu, breaking the Tiny Devil’s wings as they fell into the Great Rift.

“And goooooood riddance, mothuh effers!” Sivam cheered. “What easy pickin’s. They don’t make good operatives like they used ta.”

_“If that was an operative, aren’t you ordered to apprehend him?”_

“But I just knocked him down the pit.” Sivam picked her nose. “Can’t you get ’im? You’re the one who broke his arms.”

 _“You are remarkably incompetent, Sivam. But that’s what makes you so adorable.”_ Smaug pecked the little fairy before diving into the pit. With breakneck speed, he snatched Jinta in his claw seconds before the boy could splatter into the river.

**Across Hyrule**

Large balloons carried fenced platforms to the sky, allowing children to gaze over their world with awe. “Hey, no leaning over the rails!” the Bokoblin tour guide ordered a Gerudo and her ostrich Rito friend.

“Mr. Bokun, I see shooting stars over Death Mountain!” the Rito said.

“AAAAH!” cried a Kokiri. “Mr. Bokun, it’s Smaug! Smaug’s coming to eat us!”

“Calm down, kids!” Bokun said, looking through a telescope. “It looks like Smaug rescued a boy that fell off the mountain. See, he’s taking him to the castle to be treated.”

“Smaug is so niiiiice~” the children sang.

Down below, some Goron kids were bouncing on the belly of a young Hinox as the cyclops lay on his back. Lizalfos were playing Tag with Zora in the river. Teenage Aeralfos and Rito were engaged in Sky Dodge, a form of dodgeball that took place high in the heavens. Demons were beginning to sell balloons and merchandise of their glorious queen, and profit would go straight to the reparations of Castle Town.

 _“I used to be afraid of bugs, and other kids liked to tease me for it.”_ a Kokiri boy said on the news. _“Queen Mandy gave me a nightmare where I was attacked by Skulltulas, so I fought them, and now I ain’t scared no more!”_

 _“When I was little, I fell in Lake Hylia and I couldn’t get out.”_ a teenage Goron said. _“I was stuck there for a whole day, and since then I’ve been afraid of water. Queen Mandy threw me in the lake and forced me to climb out on my own, and I did it! It was pretty inconvenient though, but at least I’m not scared of water now.”_

Koko and Mandy were watching the reports on the throne room’s large screen. “You’ve become a really great queen, Your Majesty!” the Sheikah praised.

“I still don’t understand.” Mandy replied, a hand over her heart. “Acts of kindness usually make me sick. Especially when _I’m_ the one doing them. My body feels numb, but I feel _less_ sick for some reason. It’s like a very gentle knife is scratching my heart.”

“Your real intent might be to sway people to your side, but I think you’ve taken a liking to helping them.” Koko smiled knowingly. “Isn’t it better to have people admire you out of gratitude than worship you out of fear? Or maybe it’s Zelda’s spirit talking to you.”

“I didn’t ask for your opinion, I asked for a parfait. Chop chop!”

 _“RAAAAAHHH!”_ Koko’s heart nearly jumped out when Smaug landed on the castle, sticking his head in as he discarded Jinta on the floor. _“This boy was taking a stroll on my mountain. He might be a KND operative.”_

Koko gasped, recognizing him. “Isn’t he… Yuzu-san’s friend?” she whispered.

“Vicky, you have a new victim! Take him to be treated first.” Mandy ordered.

At that instant, the Baby-Shredder fell through the ceiling 20 meters up. “Geesh, the old king had a LOOOOOOOOOT of Gerudo pictures. I kept some of them.” Vicky waddled over to Jinta and cut a circle around him. “Ahahahahahahaha.” Once finished, Vicky jumped on him and brought the floor down. “Wheeeeeee!”

“Since we’re here, Lord Mandy,” Sivam flew in from behind Smaug, “we wanted to have a word with you.”

“Koko, my parfait.” Mandy ordered.

“R-Right. Excuse Koko.” The girl raced out of there.

 _“Lord Mandy, ever since you awakened me, I was hoping I would be called to destroy at least five towns by now, but I haven’t been given the chance to destroy one.”_ Smaug said.

“And my Anti-Fairies have barely broken any backs because you keep ordering the assassins to massage them.” Sivam followed. “You know how much anti-magical buildup they’ve got? Ever since Mavis trapped us in our own domain 600 years ago, we’re fucking bored!”

“It was 6,000 years ago.” Mandy corrected.

“Y’SEE?! You promised us all the chaos and havoc we could ask for if we joined you, so where is it?!”

“It’s true that the original plan was to control the masses with despair and destruction, but my chi has been suffering an emotional block. I’ve been forcing myself to be terrifying, when in reality I’ve yet to conquer my own fears of growing soft. The only way to break this block is to confront it.”

 _“Oh, you’ll do more than confront your fear. You’ll embrace it. Accept it as part of you. Then, you’ll lose your former reputation and form a completely new one, abandon your old personality.”_ Smaug loomed forward, his steaming breath enveloping Mandy’s form. _“And I, for one, do not follow such a kind heart.”_

“If you want cruelty, I’ll show it to you, Smaug. My assassins already know your weakness, and they’ll strike you down the second you show any kind of rebellion.”

_“Will you really? Judging by your recent actions, you’d sooner rid me of that fear. So, why should I be afraid then? As I lay gasping for breath, you would show mercy and save me—AAAAH!”_

Smaug had been talking to an illusion of Mandy, allowing the real one to stab his weak spot with her saber. “Does that answer your question?” She withdrew the blade. “You’ll do as I order you, now go back to your cave until I call you. Period.”

With a vicious snarl, Smaug pushed himself off the castle and took flight to Death Mountain. “Now, once I get my parfait, I’ll check up on my ancient weapons. Resume patrol, Sivam.” Mandy left the throne on that note.

As the Anti-Fairy glared in the queen’s direction, her adviser, Omsoc flew up from the hole Vicky carved. “Did I eavesdrop on a lover’s quarrel, perhaps?”

“Omsoc, I’m starting to think Mandy isn’t cut out for a position of power. She’s using us for her own gain, forbidding us from using our full potential.”

“I am so thankful that even YOU are wise enough to see that! What shall we do about it, Your Filthiness?”

“I think we should claim what is rightfully ours. We’ll steal this planet right from under her missing nose!”

**Hateno Beach**

_“Yuzu-san, if you’re still hearing this, I think Mandy captured one of your friends. He was the boy with red hair. Smaug brought him to the castle and he looked pretty beat-up.”_

“Jinta was captured?!” Kodama exclaimed. She, Yuzu, and Karin were resting on a beach near towering cliffs. “Wait, but what about Ururu? Ugh, I wish these things were two-way.”

“This is Karin to Ururu, do you read me? Please respond!” Karin yelled into her wristwatch, only to receive static. “We’re still getting a signal, so it must be intact. Either she’s unconscious or she lost it. When they last reported, they said they were near Death Mountain, right? Close to a giant chasm.”

“Will you be able to find her?” Yuzu asked. “What if she was knocked out in her shrunken state?”

“Yachiru can help me track her. But first, I think I’ll warp to Earth and report our current status. At this rate, the KND will end up going to war with Mandy’s crew, and that’s on top of the other pirates who captured other sectors.”

“Speaking of that, have we ever actually confirmed that these three Yonko are allied?”

“According to the M.I.K.E.s,” Kodama replied, “Mandy still hates the other Yonko, which implies those other attacks were just huge coincidences.”

“I dunno…” Karin spoke suspiciously. “Coincidence or not, something is going on between them. We’d best make sure all the KNDs know that.”

**Secret Cellar**

“Check it out, Lord Mandy!” Creeper exclaimed, aiming a Sheikah Tech shotgun. “After 10,000 years, Hyrule is once again at the peak of modern age machinery! Thanks to help from our new Yiga friends, we’re all set for any invasion from the KND or those other bloody Emperors!”

“I would’ve hoped you had more prepared than just fancy guns.” Mandy stated.

“’ey, these guns are more than what other Hyruleans got. They may own fancy equipment like motorcycles or spaceships, but unless you’re in the black market like the Zoldyck Clan, you have to outsource your firearms and other weapons. But these silly things ain’t the only thing in our arsenal. Please direct your eternal glare at THIS!”

 _“ARRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”_ A tremendous elephant drowned an entire coast by channeling the ocean through its trunk in a titanic gush.

 _“CAAAAAAAAAWWWW…”_ A gargantuan eagle stirred a cyclone with its spiraling wings and decimated a forest.

 _“ROOOOOAAAAARRRR…”_ A colossal camel trudged across the desert, enveloped in an eternal sandstorm and destroying nearby settlements with lightning.

 _“OIIIIINK OIIIIIINK.”_ A massive salamander emerged from Death Mountain Crater and willed the volcano to erupt, melting the towns around it.

These clips replayed on the TV screen in the room. “I’m impressed with how good their effects were back then.” Creeper said. “These clips didn’t really happen, but they’re a good representation for the Divine Beasts’ power. The elephant is Vah Ruta, who absorbs moisture from the air, ground, or sea and channels it into powerful waterbending. The camel, Vah Naboris, absorbs energy from the ground and turns it into lightning. Vah Medoh, the bird, can control wind and has lasers designed to shoot down any aerial foe. And Vah Rudania, as you saw, uses firebending and can even bend lava.”

“Why the hell does Rudania ‘oink’ if it’s a salamander?”

“The documents say they thought it was more intimidating. These babies are virtually indestructible, but they’re designed to only be controlled by benders of their respective elements. We can easily use Azula to control Rudania, but for the others, we had to recruit some of the citizens. We already did some scouting and found some suitable candidates. They’ve been escorted to the Divine Beasts’ resting places, and as we speak, they’re working to reignite and control them.”

“These machines do appear quite promising… I’ll bet they can even shoot down the _Santa Hylia_. So, who are these candidates in question?”

Creeper led Mandy back upstairs to the Royal Wizards’ Chamber, currently occupied by Wizzrobes. Their crystal ball displayed a live apparition of a red Zora girl with jellyfish hair and glittered fins. _“YO, check me OUT, Yo’ Majesteh!”_ she yelled in a sassy, hipster tone. _“They calls me Ludy Juny, but don’ ask why! I’m a dancer up where I’m from, and ain’t no one wants a piece of MY waterbending! ’Soon as I git this big-trunk booty under caps, I’mma turn it into mah new dance floor!”_

The next image was that of a young eagle Rito man with round glasses. _“O-Oh, dear. Um, h-hello, Queen Mandy. M-My name is Quinn, and I’ve been chosen to pilot Vah Medoh. It’s, um, it’s quite the honor, and I promise to do my very best, f-for our great kingdom! Hehe! …Sorry, I get so embarrassed in front of celebrities.”_

The next person was a young Gerudo girl with a large ponytail. _“Greetings, Queen Mandy, I am Riju, Chief of the Gerudo. In spite of your rather rude greeting to us, I am grateful for the opportunity to pilot Vah Naboris. She is a very sacred being to my people and I am proud to be the first Gerudo in eons to work with her.”_

“We’re grateful for your cooperation.” Mandy replied. “Speaking of which, let’s see how Azula’s fairing with Rudania.”

The crystal ball revealed a clueless, small, and ordinary-looking Goron boy. “Um… where’s-”

 _“HELLO.”_ he yelled in a nasally voice.

“Um, hi? Where’s Azula-”

_“SHE LEFT.”_

“What? Where is sh-”

_“TO ‘MORE IMPORTANT THINGS.’ TOLD ME TO FILL IN.”_

“Fill in?! Doesn’t she realize how important this is?!”

_“HER BODY’S TOO WEAK. NEEDS A STRONG GORON FIREBENDER.”_

“You hardly look like you fit the bill!”

A tiny Lizalfos peeped out from behind the kid’s leg. _“Actually, Lord Mandy, Gollin is a giant, and his firebending isn’t to mock. His fire is on the Emerald level; it might be lower than Azula’s, but his durability makes up for it.”_

_“YEAH, SO NO WORRY. I CAN HANDLE THIS.”_

“Sigh… you better not disappoint me.” Transmission ended. “Well, Riju seems promising, but the others seem like clowns. You sure they’re the best benders we got?”

“According to polls, they are.” Creeper answered. “The only concern is if they would use them against our crew. Luckily, there is a failsafe mechanism beneath this very castle. The Secret Cellar has a control station which will erect Sheikah Tech towers around the castle, and those towers will unleash a massive EMP that will shut down all technology on the planet! Then we’ll have to subdue the pilots before they start back up again.”

“Good. Rule #1 is you can’t trust anybody, especially citizens of a world you’re trying to dominate.”

“Oh yeah, how’s your little Kindness Quest fairing, anyway?”

Mandy touched her heart once more. “Ever since my fight with Affright, my fearbending has been weaker, like it was stuck and needed force to get out. But now, it feels like it’s trying to hibernate. My body feels numb, and so does my heart.”

“You’re a better poet than your husband is.”

“So, what’s the status of the other crewmen?”

“It seems Rā’s al Ghūl determined the Lazarus Pit’s location and went off to find it. Your daughter’s visiting Sunset Canyon to make friends with the Twili, but it doesn’t seem Kimaya and Django accompanied her. I don’t really know where they are.”

“I might have a feeling…”

**Gerudo Highlands**

North of the scorching Gerudo Desert was the frigid highlands. Rā’s and his ninjas navigated the steep cliffs in search of the mountains’ most distinctive landmark. They followed a narrow path between towering cliffs that almost threatened to swallow them, and it seemed that was just what would happen as the path only seemed to lead to a dead end. However, as the snowy mist cleared, the imposing cliff took the form of a stone goddess.

“The Seven Heroines are hailed as the strongest and wisest Gerudo that ever lived.” said General Shiva. “But many don’t know there were originally Eight Heroines. That’s because the eighth one took an interest in dark arts, so they used earthbending to move her statue up here where no one would find her.”

Rā’s clasped the feet of the statue and pushed it aside with his bending. There was a secret stairwell underneath. “And this statue was used to hide the source of those dark arts. Four of you, stay outside, the rest are with me.”

The ninjas obeyed, facing the snow-filled path as their master entered the cave. Already, they were alert as figures seemed to be trudging through the snow, moaning eerily. Skeletons and Redeads were limping toward them, led by Kimaya and Django.

Rā’s band ventured the depths of the dungeon and found the sanctuary: it was a fountain of reddish-pink ooze, surrounded by corpses. “At last… Hyrule’s Lazarus Pit. And this one feels more powerful than the ones on Superbia or Secco.”

“Now we need only find a suitable mage to serve as our sacrifice.” Shiva said. “However, the only issue is Mandy’s new policies. Because she seeks to win the approval of her subjects, she won’t allow us to sacrifice an innocent person.”

“Then we’ll search for a magic criminal, or perhaps capture someone from a different world. Either way, the sacrifice will need to possess sufficient power, otherwise the pit may not reach its full potential…?” It was then they realized a red gas was seeping in from the entrance. The ninjas jumped away from it. “Gas? Is it a trap?!” (Play “Hidden Village” from _Twilight Princess_!)

Kimaya and Django entered the sanctuary, the former training her Keyblades like guns. “Bravo, Green Veins, you found the Lazarus.” Django clapped. “Too bad it’s the last you’ll ever see.”

“You two are from Cindy’s division.” Shiva recognized. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“This planet ain’t big enough fer two Lazarus victims.” Kimaya spoke in a country accent. “My pardner here had a rotten experience with one o’ these here pits, and we ain’t lettin’ the same happen to anyone else.”

“Rā’s al Ghūl, my grandma has underworld connections the same as you.” Django explained. “She learned that you were also a Lazarus user, and that you were in Mandy’s crew. That’s why we joined this crew to begin with. We didn’t get the chance to stop you from using Secco’s pit, but now, it’s all over.”

“Is that what you think?” Rā’s smirked with malice. “You children are due for your eternal rest.” The Demon’s Head lunged forward, targeting Django’s guitar, but the musician called up some Dead Hands to restrain him, then Rā’s was bat away by Kimaya.

The cowgirl entered Rotting Corpse Fury, spreading her foul stench to the entire cave, the female ninjas holding breath and taking cover on the ceiling. Rā’s seemed unfazed, sending a Sand Stream that Kimaya blocked with crossed blades, enduring the wave until Rā’s flew in with a barrage of sword swings. Kim allowed him to cut her to pieces, and when Rā’s turned his sights on Django, a horde of Redeads sprung out of the ground to choke the demon. Rā’s easily dissolved the zombies into dust, but Kimaya was given time to reassemble and jump into the Lazarus Pit.

The hazardous chemical rose from the fountain, shaping like Kimaya as it formed guns and began shooting Rā’s. The Demon’s Head rode a sandwave, swiftly evading the bullets; he was in no hurry to become the Lazarus’s sacrifice himself. Rā’s whirled sand around himself, applying Haki to it: Kimaya brought down a Lazarus arm, but the Black Sand Shield nullified the attack. Rā’s then brought a Black Sand Fist around to PUNCH Kimaya out of the Lazarus! He then formed a bunch of Sand Needles over her and Django, all launching at once. Django knew Kimaya could survive the attack, but he called a bunch of Gibdos over himself to protect his guitar.

Rā’s flew to slice through the mummy pile, but Django escaped and fired a soundwave at him. The boy summoned Stalfos, but Rā’s destroyed them with Sand Clones. He was shot in the back, about-facing to a recovered Kimaya. She was using one Keyblade to shoot gas bullets, but was whirling the other in the air. Rā’s realized Lazarus was floating above him, the demon dodging just in time. Kimaya dove back into the fountain, molding a Lazarus body, the same time Rā’s molded a sand body resembling his upper half. Fists of pink Lazarus and black sand met one-another, until Kimaya’s right arm stretched away, became a gun, and shot off Rā’s’ head.

Rā’s’ left arm became a sword and sliced Kimaya’s body in half during her weakened moment. Rā’s bashed her body toward the land and quickly buried her under sand. He burrowed through the sand and caught Kimaya by the neck. “With years of training, I’m the strongest sandbender on Superbia. I can dry all the fluids in a body and reduce it to dust. Your bones are powerless to me.”

“Huuurrrrr…!” Kimaya struggled to push him off, her bones slowly dissolving. Were it not for the magic animating her corpse, she would be dust by now. “Ain’t gonna stop me from breakin’ wind!” With a tremendous burst of flatulence, their enclosed sand tomb became uninhabitable, forcing Rā’s to hold his breath and escape. Kimaya bent the gas into a bomb and threw it at Rā’s, the Head defending with a Black Sand Shield. The furious Rā’s grasped the ground, morphing a sand trail toward Django, grabbing his boots, and yanking him off the ground. He swung Django in the air until he dropped his guitar.

“Grab it!” Shiva ordered, the ninjas dropping down with breath held. Kimaya used a Lazarus whip to keep them away from the guitar, and when Rā’s tried to stab the instrument, Kimaya threw her boney arm to grab it and summon the arm back. Her other hand shot a Gas Bullet at the sand hand to free Django, yelling “Git on outta here!” as she returned his guitar.

Django saluted her and raced out of the cave, strumming up a horde of Redeads to block the cave’s exit. Rā’s faced Kimaya again as she splashed in the pit, mustering her chi to its very peak. Bright red light shone from the many cracks on her bones, her poison growing hotter and hotter and causing the Lazarus to boil. “My Liege, we must get out of here!” Shiva yelled as the ninjas desperately cut down the Redeads. Rā’s growled, knowing the pit was seconds from exploding.

Django bypassed the dead ninjas outside, just in time to watch the cave burst into flames. The rotting odor reached his dead nose, smiling at Kimaya’s success. But the boy was horrified when Rā’s trudged out of the cave moments later, his hair and flesh almost completely withered away, exposing the green muscle underneath. The other ninjas were protected by sand shields. “Your friend has sacrificed herself for nothing.”

“No worries. She’s a fast healer.” Django strummed a few notes, and Kimaya’s ash reformed from the smoke.

“’Guess you gotta find a new pit to dump in.” Kimaya retorted.

Rā’s grit his teeth and stomped the ground, entering Sand Fury. The Head grasped one of the cliffs, his chi melting all the surrounding snow and breaking off a chunk of the cliff. Its sand morphed into a statue of Rā’s that dwarfed the Eighth Heroine’s statue. “Kimaya, you can’t go into Fury Mode after a self-destruct like that, can you?”

“Nyope. ’Guess it’s time to hit it.” (End song.)

 _“Waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!”_ Kim and Django rode the former’s skateboard faster than one could ride a horse. It was extremely convenient, because this very path sloped directly down Hemaar’s Descent, a very popular location for Shield Surfing. “WOOHOOOOOOOO!” For a moment, the duo forgot the sandy colossus chasing after them and rode down the mountain with joy and freedom. They bounced haphazardly down hundred-foot cliffs, dropping into Tanagar Canyon. The canyon would flow for miles and miles, with plenty of room for their skateboarding spree.

“Sigh…” Rā’s gave up the chase and merely scowled in their direction. It was pointless to play along with their childish games. “We’ll see who gets the last laugh, you wretched urchins.”

**Hyrule Castle; night**

Mandy’s royal bathing quarters were at the top of a small tower. She had the option to close the skylight or allow the sun or moon to provide light for her. She chose the latter. A statue of Hylia watched over the tub, which was the size of a hot spring. Mandy sighed in bliss, allowing the whole of her body to partake in the soothing steam. She reached her right hand to the moon, blocking it from view. “Darkrai once told me the moonlight weakens my fearbending. It’s strongest on nights with a Blood Moon. Either way, it’ll make it annoying to get in touch with my chi again.”

“I’ve experienced that problem once before.” a British voice said.

With a start and a splash, Mandy realized that a golden-haired Hylian woman was bathing as well. “Where did you come from?!”

“I’ve been here for ages, Mandy. It is our kingdom, you know.”

“P…Princess Zelda?”

“Well, one of them. The others call me ‘Zelda of the Wild.’”

“Yeah, but I call her ‘Scientist Zelda.’” Mandy gasped when a dark-skinned girl appeared in her bath. “She was obsessed with Sheikah Tech. As for me, I’m Tetra.”

“Also known as ‘Pirate Zelda’!” replied another Zelda with more thick hair. “And I’m ‘Zelda of the Past.’ Nice to finally meet you, Mandy. Though I’m quite upset you gave away our Triforce of Wisdom.”

“I didn’t think it suited me.” Mandy replied. “It made me look like some pure-hearted pushover.”

“Indeed, our family was a long line of lightbenders.” said Twilight Zelda, whose hair was a dark gold. “Your fearbending greatly contradicts us.”

“You were never a ball of sunshine yourself, Twilight Zelda.” remarked Sky Zelda.  “You were so serious. Explains why your Link never fell for you.”

“Same with Ninja Zelda.” followed Train Zelda.

“I had to take my place as a Sage.” replied Ninja Zelda, a.k.a. Sheik. “We were not meant to be.”

Mandy, at this point, was royally confused. Here she was expecting a pleasant bath, now it was being invaded by Zeldas. “Look, I didn’t ask for company, especially not from ghosts. So, please leave.”

“Although you were quite different from us,” said Twilight Zelda, “it seems you are finally awakening to your roots. Both we and the Links of our times were renowned for our kind services to the kingdom. Doing good deeds, whether for selfish intentions or not, clears a person’s chi paths and makes them a better bender.”

“However, I sense it is having a special effect on your fearbending.” said a purple-haired Zelda with an upside-down Triforce scepter.

“WHAT ARE YOU, an Emo Zelda?!” Mandy shouted.

“No, my name is Hilda, Zelda’s Negative. I’m the Princess of Lorule, and I was invited by that one.”

“She’s my bestie!” Zelda of the Past sloshed over and hugged her. “By the way, ‘Lorule’ is the opposite of ‘Hyrule.’ Get it? Low? High?”

“Anyway, have you ever heard of Gratitude Crystals?” Sky Zelda asked. “They’re mystical objects that only spirits and demons can see. They’re compositions of the Emotion Chi emitted by peoples’ gratitude.”

“Those very crystals are latching all over your chi!” a tiny voice squeaked. Mandy was shocked to see a tiny Zelda on her shoulder. “Hi there! I’m Minish Zelda. Tee hee hee, your nostrils are so tiny!”

“I thought you said doing good deeds CLEARS chi paths, not clutters them with crystals!”

“It’s clear they’re resonating with your Fear Chi, since they’re also made of Emotion Chi.” Train Zelda clarified. “Still, it’s odd that their positive emotions would be attracted to your negative Fear. Then again, opposites do attract. I’m looking forward to seeing how your chi will develop with this.”

“But still,” input Science Zelda, “the only reason you’ve been doing all this is to make Hyrule fear you. With all the good you’ve done, is that still all you want?”

“Hm hm hm.” Mandy smirked. “You don’t understand how the world works now. People only do kind things because they expect something in return. In videogames, side quests are only worth doing for the rewards. In real life, people only make friends to rid their selves of loneliness, but those friends are only worth having if they have something to offer. That’s why every operative in a KND sector needs to pull their weight. Still… I won’t deny that doing all this gave me that tiny ounce of satisfaction.”

“The fact is, you’ve already made yourself the queen of this world.” said Twilight Zelda. “Even if you merely wanted to have something over your fellow pirates, the Hyruleans will be counting on you. You will need to keep their loyalty and their faith.”

“You’re my least-favorite Zelda. Get out of this tub.”

“Hey, don’t be mean to Goth Zelda!” Minish Zelda squeaked.

“That last part was meant for all you. If you’ve no more relevant things to say, then out of this tub. NOW.”

“Huff. Fine.” Sky Zelda grumbled. “We can think of better baths than this!” With that, all the Zeldas flew away.

“Sigh… How proud I am to be different.” With no more disturbances, Mandy could close her eyes and embrace the warmth in peace. The steam touched her very soul and cleared her mind.

She looked inside herself… she saw her soul floating in a nightmarish wasteland, and tiny orange crystals orbiting her. She felt a warmth radiating from them, the crystals slowly drawn to her. _Yes… these are the Gratitude Crystals. I wasn’t expecting so many. I can feel their positive emotions. But how can they possibly help me? Fear is a negative feeling, and it’s all I have control over._

Mandy’s body emitted its red aura, the chi rising to the surface. The dark red morphed into a soft bright orange, the royal bath gleaming beautifully. _I can feel their gratitude._

_“Thank you for helping me fly, Queen Mandy!”_

_“Thanks for the Deku Water, Queen Mandy! My forest will look beautiful!”_

_“Now I can play with my Miniblin friend without people attacking him! And it’s all thanks to you!”_

_“The Cuccos bless you with their gratitude, Queen Mandy! PRAISE BE THE CUCCOS!”_

_“We love our new training partners, Queen Mandy! The Goron Blood Bros. will be stronger than ever!”_

_“With these new Sheikah Tech rods, we’ll feed Lurelin with even bigger fish!”_

_Yes… This gratitude comes from fear. They lie awake, thinking of my kindness. Just like that Kiki girl._

_“But know this.” Mandy knelt down to the young witch. “I’ll remember your face… and I hope you remember mine… on the day that the Grim Glarer Mandy looked on you with murderous intent, and spared your life.” And, with a smile that looked so soft and kind, she said, “okay?” Seeing such a rare look up close was more scary than anything. Kiki couldn’t bring up the words, only nod._

_When people like Kiki think of me out of fear, I can feel it, and my chi is just slightly stronger. The same is happening now. These crystals contain their Gratitude. Gratitude comes from Fear. And that’s why I can bend these feelings to my whim. I… am awakening._

A couple castle guards gazed out a window with intrigue: the tower of the royal bathroom was shining. “You know, I once heard a rumor that the ghosts of former princesses haunt that tower. Could it be true?!”

“Perhaps we should ask the queen to call a paranormal expert.”

**Skies of Hyrule**

The Anti-Fairy army gathered before their princess, allured by the black light of the Ztar Rod. “Lord Mandy promised the Anti-Fairy regime would rise again, and like it or not, she will grant our wish. Today, Princess Sivam becomes the new Queen of Fear! May misfortune shower all of Hyrule, under my BLACK ZTAR SKY!”

 

**Gratitude Crystals were in _Skyward Sword_ , and you can probably figure out what games the different Zeldas come from.**


	6. Gracious Queen Mandy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sivam has gone rogue and Anti-Fairies are terrorizing Hyrule! Can Mandy put a stop to this?

**The whole idea where Gratitude stems from Fear is kind of based on some real-life experiences of mine, and the fact is it’s not wrong. Oh yeah, here’s some neat background info: if you recall _Seven Lights_ , Mandy worked with Lord Licorice, who was a World Government affiliate. As part of their deal, Licorice allowed Mandy to read the forbidden _Sugar Fairies_ story, and that’s how she knew about Sivam.**

**Anyways, this will be the last chapter of this arc. I have no need to drag it on, and I think Mandy underwent a rather unique development.**

****

**_

Chapter 6: Gracious Queen Mandy

_**

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“GERALD!”

**No, Mandy, that’s your coach’s name! XD**

**Hyrule Castle**

_Dammit… Who turned up the thermostat? It’s so hot… What’re these voices? Did they turn up the heat? Shut up, one at a time!_

_“Lord Mandy, the river’s dried up! We can’t catch any fish!”_

_“Lord Mandy, the desert is freezing. The clouds won’t go away. We never have this many clouds!”_

_“Lord Mandy, there’s a heat wave over Anouki Snowfield. We’re sweltering.”_

_Ugh, solve your own problems. What am I, a weather spirit? If I were, I wouldn’t be so hot! Why is it so…_

Mandy kicked the covers off her, unable to sleep in this awful weather. She stomped to the window and forced it open, gaping at the bizarre sight.

The sky had become a light-purple, glimmering with black stars that seemed to rain upon the world. Over the horizon, a black and purple sun bathed Hyrule in dark light. “Those are… Ztars. What are those Anti-Fairies doing?!”

“FAE-fae-fae-fae-fae-fae!” The echoing laughter drew Mandy’s attention to the top of the central tower. Sivam acted as a beacon of dark light, spreading her vile essence to Hyrule’s atmosphere. “Are you seeing this, Princess Mavis?! I’m back and I’m making Hyrule my personal pigsty! The Anti-Fairies will RISE from their misfortune!”

“SIVAM!” The fairy smirked as Mandy flew up the tower in a nightmare orb form, poking her head out. “How dare you commit a mutiny against me!”

“Mutiny? HAH! That ain’t even close to what this is!”

“Ahem, Sivam?” Omsoc flew up and began to whisper the definition of ‘mutiny.’

“Oh, I guess it is a mutiny. Either way, you’ve grown too soft for us, Queen Mandy, and ever since we’ve been free, you’ve done nothing but use us for your nonexistent dictatorship. So, kiss your throne good-bye ’cause MY ASS is about to kiss it!” Sivam pelted Mandy with Ztar bullets, but she withstood the attack and slashed Sivam with an axe made of Fear Chi. (Play “Master Core” from _Smash 4_!)

“Your magic has no effect on people who don’t believe in luck. But I can easily discipline you by slicing you to pieces!” Mandy grabbed Sivam with a Fear Arm and whirled her around before stabbing the fairy into the tower’s tip. The needle inconveniently fell off, allowing Sivam to pull it out, leaving her with a rotten hole. Knowing Luck Magic was ineffective, Sivam merely fired Zhurikens, and Mandy took the cuts as she chopped Sivam to pieces with Fear Blades. Sivam’s pieces morphed into Zhards and stabbed at Mandy simultaneously, but those parts morphed into Fear Chi and divided, dodging the attack.

Sivam is made of Dark Chi, so she can bypass my Logia defenses. I’ll need to be wary of how I transform. Mandy watched as Sivam reformed and quickly smashed the fairy between Fear Hammers, but Sivam poofed and launched a giant Zhard. The Zhard barely grazed Mandy’s hip, and the queen retaliated by forming Fear Spheres around Sivam and compressing them at the center. Sivam pushed them off with a Protego, and she formed spikes on the black shield. Mandy did the same with her Nightmare Orb, both forces crashing each other repeatedly. The orbs collided and drilled against each other, until Sivam pierced Mandy’s defense with a sharper spike.

Mandy flew back with a wound in her shoulder. Sivam cast a beam to the sky, and the Black Sun became even hotter as Mandy began to sweat. “Misfortune exists even in the weather, bitch! Even if you don’t believe in luck, a day that’s too hot, too cold, or too windy is ALWAYS an inconvenience!”

Mandy assaulted her with a storm of Fear Spheres, Sivam using a Ztar Shield to block them. The shield inflated by absorbing the spheres, and Sivam launched it at Mandy as it exploded. Mandy evaded and grasped Sivam in two giant Fear Hands, squeezing the fairy like a sponge. Sivam erected black crystals from her body and escaped, only for Mandy to MUNCH and shatter them in giant teeth belonging to a demon’s head, conjured by Mandy’s chi. The queen gasped when a cyclone of Ztars snuck up behind her, flying to escape the prickly vacuum. Seeing Sivam reforming herself, Mandy flew opposite of her from the tornado and unleashing a deafening Fear Scream, powerful enough to blow Sivam into the cyclone.

The Anti-Fairy suffered from her own Ztars, quickly dispelling the tornado, but Sivam was suddenly batted around by the wings of Mandy’s Nightmare Bat form. The bat grew talons and grabbed Sivam, diving towards the grounds around the castle and dragging the fairy against the dirt. It was then Mandy noticed something odd. “Wait a minute… this is the castle moat. Where’s all the water?!”

“No dip, dumbass!” Sivam retorted. “Figuratively! Uh, I mean, literally… Figurally? Look, all the rivers dried up! Also, the desert’s freezing, the mountains are melting, it’s catastrophe all over! Hell, Smaug is burning the Great Forest right now!”

“I should’ve known he’d be involved. You’re both receiving the punishment of a lifetime!” Mandy ripped Sivam in half by her legs, but the queen was hit by Shooting Ztars from the heavens. The Anti-Fairy reformed and blasted Mandy into the cliff with a Bad Luck Beam. Mandy became a Demon Drill and fought against the beam, directly striking Sivam as the fairy stood firmly and endured. Seeing the drill was ineffective, Mandy slipped away and beheaded Sivam with a Scare Saw, but the fairy reformed once more and assaulted Mandy with a hundred Zhards from countless directions. They flew and poofed like bullets, Mandy acting quickly to mold her Logia body in shapes that would evade them. Several Zhards got lucky cuts.

“It’s no use, No Nose Hoe! I draw my power from peoples’ misfortune. With my Black Ztar Sky bad-luckin’ the whole country, it’s a bad luck buffet! It’s what you call a… para-mutual relationship or… somethin’.”

“Gonna be a paramedic one soon enough!”

“Yeah, how?! First, you gotta cool down the mountain and warm up the desert, otherwise my Ztar Storm ain’t gonna Ztop. Sorry, Man, but you outta luck.”

“You may feed off their misfortune, Sivam, but I feed off more than just their fear. Last night, I could feel their gratitude coursing through me, and now I’ll turn it into power. How lucky you are to be the guinea pig for my new form!”

Mandy’s dark aura became a blackish gold. The gold took the form of an elegant gown over her body, and angelic wings grew along her arms: the feathers were like crystals sharp enough to slice metal. Her horn-shaped hair grew longer and glimmered like a sun. “I have become the Gracious Queen. Now, I shall punish you, Ungrateful Princess!”

Mandy slashed an ‘X’ over Sivam’s body, the fairy screaming in agony. Mandy followed with consecutive slashes, Sivam blocking with a Protego, but she gasped as the bladed wings quickly cut through. Sivam broke the shield herself and flew away, throwing the resulted Zhards at Mandy. The queen swiftly cut them with her wings and threw her own Gratitude Feathers, Sivam taking a few hits as she took to the sky. Mandy’s wings streaked the sky as she pursued, forming a crystalline drill and homing in on Sivam. The fairy poofed behind her, throwing Ztars at Mandy’s back, but the queen quickly dove below and directly up Sivam’s dress.

Sivam scattered everywhere, and Mandy sought to grab her Ztar Rod. However, pain began coursing through her body, for tiny Zhards were piercing her skin from all around. She encased herself in a Fear Sphere to blot out the Zhards, but Sivam was able to reform and reclaim her wand. The fairy embedded her own wings with Zhards and clashed with Mandy’s. Feathers of misfortune and gratitude intertwined until the two beauties were at a stalemate. Mandy took a breath and unleashed a Scream, which Sivam countered with a Bad Luck Beam. The two chis mixed into a single core before ultimately exploding. Sivam was blown several miles away while Mandy plummeted into a castle garden.

The queen gasped for breath as her radiant form began to falter. A squad of Anti-Fairies swooped down and blasted Ztars at her. “BACK, you foul fairies!” Creeper shouted, blasting lasers from an Ancient Bazooka. “Traitors, every one of you!” He then rushed up to the queen and said, “Captain, this is probably a bad time to tell you, but the Anti-Fairies have gone rogue.” Mandy shot him a deadly glare. “Eh, in other news, you’re looking radiant this morning.”

“What are the other commanders doing?!”

“Azula was already sent to handle Smaug, and Cortez’s ships are rescuing people on shores and islands due to the hurricanes. The others are doing everything to capture the fairies, and the Divine Beasts are being used to manage the chaotic climates.”

“Then it’s time for them to prove their worth, it seems. If I can destroy Sivam’s Ztar Rod, that’ll completely derail the fairies’ power.”

“Can ya really? In the story, it took Mavis everything she had to shatter that wand.”

“And I have more. Sivam is forcing misfortune to plague the kingdom, and then she feeds off the misfortune that others experience. We’re alike in that sense, because I do the same. Creeper, summon the Newzrobes and tell them to bring all their cameras. I want the entire world to see this!” (End song.)

**Eastern coast**

_“Wassup, Hyruleans! Live from Vah Ruta’s big booty, it’s Ludy Juny the Zora Star!”_ Vah Ruta’s gigantic hoofs shook the earth on its way to the ocean. _“These fairies are more annoyin’ than Deku Flies.”_ The beast swat fairies away with its trunk and bashed them by thrusting its rear back. Juny was mimicking the actions in her control room, standing on a glowing pad. _“Say, homebuds, does this Divine Beast make me look fat?”_

 _“NOT AT ALL, Miss Juny!”_ cheered her fanclub.

 _“BOOYEAH! Now let’s fill up the fishbowl!”_ Vah Ruta squat its legs and took a terrific leap into the ocean. _“They may’ve dried up all the rivers and lakes, but no way they can dry the whole ocean. I’m giving this water back to the people!”_ The Divine Beast’s hoofs sucked in the salty water with vents. The elephant was immune to the raging waves, and the inside was filtering the salt and turning it into fresh water. Afterwards, the trunk aimed at Ploymus Mountain where Zora’s Domain was stationed.

A great gush of water flew over the mountain and filled the East Reservoir Lake. This allowed the waterfalls to begin flowing again, filling Zora’s Domain and allowing water to flow down Zora’s River.

**Hebra Mountains**

“I sure hope this helps.” Quinn said as he flew Vah Medoh over the melting mountain. “Vah Medoh can manipulate the temperature of the air, so I’m sure it can restore the weather to the mountains.” The mechanical eagle stirred clouds into being with its fans, and by willing the air to become cold, snow fell from the clouds.

**Death Mountain**

Vah Rudania’s tail acted as a fire extinguisher, spraying the edges of the lava and hardening them to stone. “THERE. I SAVED THE HORSE STABLE.” Gollin said.

“Yes, but that village down THERE is in danger!” his Lizalfos aid shouted.

“OOPS. NO WORRIES, WE CAN MAKE IT.” As Rudania stomped in the intended direction, it bent the flowing lava back up the hill and sprayed smoke to solidify it.

**Near the Great Forest**

Riju was using Vah Naboris to discharge lightning to the sky and quell the storm. The Kokiri and Koroks were able to flee from the burning forest and cross the field without fear of lightning. “Juny, this is Riju, do you read me?” the chief asked via the beast’s intercom device. “I know you’re busy with Zora’s Domain, but I need you to bring some water to the forest—AAAAAH!” a powerful force rammed the side of the Divine Beast.

 _“These vermin have no place in our new world.”_ Smaug hissed, peering at Riju through an opening. _“They’ll go extinct, as will you.”_

Smaug readied to blow fire into the beast, but was struck in the head by a large flaming cannonball. “I think YOU’RE due for extinction, Slug!” The dragon faced a Fire Division airship, Azula perched on the top as her hair blew in the wind. “Though I can’t stand these forest brats either, Mandy’s people are important to her, and I’ll protect them, too!”

Smaug spat a meteor at the airship and destroyed it in one blow. Azula jumped off and flew with Rocket Boost, flying around Smaug while charging lightning. The dragon covered his weak spot and blew fire at her, Azula nimbly evading. Smaug screeched when a sword stabbed him in the right eye: it was Riju’s Scimitar of the Seven, which she then called back with Magnesis. In Smaug’s distraction, Azula managed to strike his weak spot with a powerful jolt of lightning. “Aww, does this mean you forgive me?” Azula teased.

“Not even a little.” Riju retorted. “As far as I care, you’re as bad as this dragon.”

 **Hyrule Castle** (Play “Galeem” from _Smash Ultimate_!)

The citizens of the ruined Castle Town could only watch as Mandy and Sivam’s battle lit up the sky. Mandy’s Gracious Spheres were blocked by Sivam’s Protego, and afterwards the shield broke into Zhurikens, circling Mandy in attempt to saw her. The queen compressed her fear-made body to a single string and slipped out, remaining in a wormlike form to dodge Sivam’s upcoming Ztars. Mandy mostly reformed, but her wings were divided like crystalline wires, stretching to wrap around the fairy. Mandy squeezed, blackness seeping out of Sivam’s form, but the fairy willed a Ztar Storm to rain down and force her to release.

On the castle grounds, Fire Troops were shooting Anti-Fairies with Ancient Rifles, with Creeper locked in a skirmish with Omsoc. Bazooka vs. magic wand, the two advisers were almost at equal skill. “Isn’t it a chore working for that pathetic mortal?” Omsoc asked. “Why don’t you just shove a resignation form down her throat and come work for Sivam? You’ll get all the most disgusting cooking and Sanzu baths a demon could ask-” Omsoc was shot in the eye. “OW! MY MONOCLE!”

“Thousands of years ago, I was cursed into a life of eternal servitude.” Creeper explained. “The Boogeyman cursed me to be his slave, and the only escape was if he transferred his authority to someone else. And Mandy was the little devil scary enough to force that authority out of his grasp. And ever since, serving Lord Mandy has been TRUE BLISS!” Creeper charged a Powuh Shot and fired a massive blue beam that swallowed the bottom left of Omsoc’s body.

“Ouchie! That’s going to need a few stitches.”

Several Loftwings flew into the area with equipment strapped to them: Wizzrobes and Rito had begun recording the scuffle with news cameras. “Live from Hyrule Castle Town, it seems that our queen and captain Mandy is in a duel with Sivam, the Anti-Fairy responsible for our current catastrophe. For those unaware, Queen Mandy had recently recruited the Anti-Fairies with the hopes of turning them to good, but with great misfortune, Mandy’s kindness has not reached them.”

“HAH! Turn me to good?!” Sivam snorted. “What kind of bullshit lie did you tell them?!”

“Did you know that forms of psychic bending can be carried through electronic waves? A psychicbender can choke someone through a live TV, and my Scare Stare can quiver the hearts of millions.” With that, Mandy flew to the first camera and shot her Grim Glare.

Millions of Hyruleans watching the news were immediately entranced, not by fear, but by kindness. They were forced to remember all the kind deeds done by Mandy and her crew: helping Rito children take flight, helping Kokiri not fear bugs, helping young Gorons not fear lava. Although she first presented herself as a wicked ruler, she committed all these kind deeds and asked for nothing in return. Even now, they felt selfish in saying this, but their hearts compelled them to:

“THANK YOU, Queen Mandy! Please, help us, one more time!” cried a Hylian woman.

“Please, beat her, Your Majesty!” Dosey pled. “You’re a great flyer! Teach me how to fly some more!”

“Thank you for letting me have friends!” a Lizalfos shouted, accompanied by his Zora friends. “Please, smash that ugly fairy!”

The queen felt their praise and pleas from all corners. She could see the tiny, sparkling Gratitude Crystals flowing in the air like breaming streaks. It felt like breathing the world’s oxygen after being trapped underwater for hours. Not only did her wings grow, but two more appeared, and they altered between blue and gold colors. “How ugly.” Sivam scoffed. “Parasitus!” Thorns grew from her wand and, fast as bullets, latched onto 20 different Anti-Fairies. The fairies cried as their bodies were absorbed into Sivam: her dress extended as black points grew on the end, and her bat wings glimmered like Ztars.

Mandy furiously whipped her with all four wings, Sivam blocking with her own wings. Mandy ceased and tried to Scream, but Sivam surprised her with a Ztar Beam, sending her miles across the field. The fairy poofed beneath Mandy and tried to shoot, but the queen instinctively whacked her away with a wing. Mandy molded six Fear Spheres that flew gently around Sivam. The fairy was confused, until the spheres started beeping, and she didn’t escape before they exploded with condensed screams. Sivam was dizzied, and Mandy drilled through her body and reduced her to darkness.

The queen seized the abandoned Ztar Rod, but the wand suddenly stabbed at her, Mandy reactively molding her Logia body in defense. She struggled to restrain the rod as she tried to snap it, but a severed hand took the wand and flew over to one of the cameras, where Sivam reformed. “I can’t believe you idiots are supporting this wannabe queen. All she cares about is using people, including you.”

Mandy sliced her head clean off, Sivam becoming darkness. “As I speak, she’s feeding off your emotions.” Mandy realized multiple Sivam clones were speaking into each camera. “She only acted all kind because she wanted your loyalty. As soon as she gets rid of me and the other Emperors, she won’t give a shit about any of you.”

Mandy destroyed all the copies with Fear Spheres. “Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?” A gigantic Sivam poofed behind her, smirking at the feeble-looking queen. “Your subjects are all but tools to you.”

“SILENCE!” Mandy sliced her up the middle. “That’s right… I’m using them. No matter how strong I am, I’m forced to rely on other peoples’ emotions. It was easy to feed off their fear, but relying on their gratitude was dreadful. Because it made me realize… I need their feelings to be strong!” Tears leaked. “I need people to praise me, to thank me! Their feelings give me the strength to fight! And that’s why… I…”

She faced a camera with tearing eyes, as if facing all the people of Hyrule. “I’m so thankful for you all, people of Hyrule! Thank you for lending me your power!”

To Sivam’s astonishment, Mandy’s form grew even bigger, her Logia body absorbing every ounce of gratitude from the atmosphere. Her form could be mistaken as that of Goddess Hylia. Mandy looked down at Sivam as though she were a child, looking up at her parent in fear after doing something bad. And like any parent, Mandy smacked her so hard that she flew all the way above the Great Forest. The queen swiftly whooshed after her, grabbing Sivam in two wings and holding her horizontal as she spanked her mercilessly.

Nearby, Smaug and Azula had taken their fight to the ground when they saw the two royals above. _“Is that… Mandy?! What has become of her—AAAH!”_ Smaug cried when his weak point was struck.

“This is the power befitting a supreme ruler, Smaug!” Azula declared, blocking another fire blast. “This kind of power only belongs to people like Mandy, who have the strength and passion to conquer anyone!”

_“BLARRH! We will never kneel to that weakling! Sivam and I will rule Hyrule forever!”_

Sivam escaped and rained Ztar in the sky upon Mandy, but they were all ripped into Zhards by her heavenly wings. Sivam cast a spiked Protego and rammed the queen, but Mandy hugged and squeezed it with all six wings before it utterly shattered. Sivam desperately formed a thousand giant Ztars that rained thousands more Ztars upon her, but Mandy unleashed a Scream that engulfed the entire country, destroying all Ztars and nearly ridding Sivam of her hearing.

“How…How can you be this strong?! All this gratitude is false… it’s BULLSHIT! The Hyruleans can’t love you this much!”

“You’re Mavis’s opposite, so you don’t believe in the power of emotions. But I know for a fact: Fear is what moves the world. It’s what inspires people to not fall behind, to make them repay favors to others. Fear is everything. I AM EVERYTHING!” Her incredible chi was rising to its very peak. Sivam was practically frozen by her own fear, for Mandy was truly unstoppable. “And you, Sivam… I have one thing to say to you.” Her eyes glimmered, and Sivam knew the Grim Glare was about to trap her in the endless nightmare. Mandy loomed closer and closer, but that dreadful feeling vanished as soon as she said, “I’m sorry.” (End song.)

“W…What?!” Sivam gasped.

“I used your people to establish my rule over this world. I’m sorry. You and the other pirates are my crew, my team. Not my tools. I’m sorry if I didn’t give you enough respect.”

Sivam… She…She couldn’t comprehend it. Why was Mandy apologizing?! After Sivam was the one causing havoc? Was she crazy? No, this must be a trick. But those eyes were so genuine, and the way Mandy looked at her like a forgiving mother… Sivam choked. Sivam stuttered. Sivam’s heart was racing. She didn’t know whether to believe her or—wait a minute, of course she should attack her! She was her enemy, she used her, but Mandy apologized for using her—but—she—use—Sivam—Mandy—

“AAAAAAAAAaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!” Sivam cried, shrunk, and fell toward the earth.

Smaug was slightly affected by Mandy’s Scream, but stayed strong as he breathed an endless stream of fire at Azula. “You’re afraid too, Smaug.” Azula smirked, her sapphire flames easily overpowering his breath. “You were the most feared monster in ancient Hyrule, but now you’re a fossil. You’re ancient. A memory. You need our crew to make yourself feared again, because without us, you’re NOTHING!”

Azula asserted her Conqueror’s Haki over him, but Smaug was not deterred. He would keep blowing, but Azula’s fire was stronger nonetheless, forcing all the heat back down Smaug’s throat. His lungs grew weaker, his will was steadily shrinking from both the Haki and Mandy’s Fear Chi. When Sivam finally landed, he cried beside her. _“AAAAAAAHHHH!”_

Mandy set foot beside Azula, as both Sivam and Smaug bowed so hard they cracked the ground. _“WE’RE SORRY! Please forgive us! Please have mercy!”_

Mandy zapped down to normal size and smiled, patting Sivam’s head. “Of course I forgive you, Sivam. Now, clean up your mess.”

“Y-Yes, Miss.” Sivam weakly raised her wand and dispelled the Black Ztar Sky, returning the beautiful morning to Hyrule.

“Good, Sivam. But I’m afraid I’ll have to ground you. And I’m taking your toy.” Mandy casually took the Ztar Rod and snapped it in two. “About a month should suffice. Then I’ll fix it up and give it back.”

Seconds later, thousands of Anti-Fairies began dropping like flies, for the source of their flight and magic was disabled. Suddenly, a terrific rain washed over the Great Forest: Vah Ruta was putting out all the fire. “Now, how ’bout we put this embarrassing incident behind us and fix the kingdom?”

From afar, the moment was observed by Cheren and Bisky. “Sigh… This was an unexpected delay, but at least the forest wasn’t destroyed.” Bisky said. “Let’s hide until they leave.”

“If you say so. Heh…” Cheren couldn’t help but feel proud of his aunt. “Well done, Mandy. Mom would be proud.”

Adnaw, the dimwitted Anti-Fairy landed on his head. Cheren casually brushed her off.

**Three days later**

A festival was held in Castle Town, honoring Mandy’s victory. The Gorons carved a statue representing the beautiful Gracious Queen. Mandy rewarded medals of honor to the Divine Beast pilots, along with blue sashes with Triforce symbols. “For their valiant efforts in stopping the Anti-Fairy Revolution, I hereby declare Riju, Gollin, Quinn, and Juny the new Hyrulean Champions—and the ranks of ‘Champion’ in the Boogey Pirates! They will protect our world with the Divine Beasts and continue honoring our great kingdom.”

 _“THANK YOU, QUEEN MANDY!”_ the Champions chorused.

“Enjoy the feast and the festivities, but don’t rest for too long. I fear we will need our Champions to protect us again. I… have received this.” The queen presented a letter, with the symbol of an “F” with wings.

“What’s that?!” Koko exclaimed.

“This is a declaration of war from the Sky God Pirates. The same scum who stole the _Santa Hylia_ , a treasured relic of Hyrule. Mark my words, we will crush Skaios’ crew and take what is rightfully ours. And I, Queen Mandy, will lead you to VICTORY!”

_“THANK YOU, QUEEN MANDY!”_

**Hyrule Castle**

“I should’ve known the Sky Gods would stage an attack against us.” Cortez said.

“That letter was sent by our spy.” Azula replied. “Li’l Despair was ordered to persuade Skaios to attack us, and sabotage them in the process. With the Divine Beasts, she’s very confident she can win. Hm, she must really want that spaceship.”

“After this incident, is keeping the Anti-Fairies around really a wise idea?” Rā’s al Ghūl asked. “Just before that incident, those two kids in Cindy’s crew went rogue. Mandy really has become a laughingstock.”

“YOU’RE the only laughingstock here! You couldn’t even catch those runaway corpses! Besides, from the sound of it, they were probably KND operatives all along.”

“Most likely Spirit Operatives.” Cortez assumed. “Like the scurvy group Bellum and I captured. We’ll search ’em down and skewer them, we will. Yohohohoho!”

**That night; Bathing Quarters**

“Ahhhh…” After a long day’s work of serving the kingdom, Mandy was always welcomed by the warmth of her tub.

“You did a great job, Mandy.” Science Zelda said, washing Twilight Zelda’s back.

“You’ve grown into a wise queen.” Sheik said, washing Sky Zelda’s hair.

“And you’re so strong, too!” Minish Zelda cheered, washing Tetra’s toes.

“Yeah yeah, just turn down your spirit lights.”

“Um… Mandy?” Azula asked, in the bath as well. “Who are you talking to?”

“She’s been hallucinating a lot lately.” Cindy replied.

“So, Hilda, what’s your favorite animal?” Mandy asked the Negative.

“Bullbos, of course.”

“I’m much more fond of moths.” Minish Zelda followed.

“In my era, there was this girl named Agitha.” Twi-Zelda replied. “You would’ve loved her.”

“I’m sure she has a reincarnation in this era.” Science Zelda said. “Mandy, you oughta look for her.”

“Eh, I might.”

Their conversation rambled on, much to Azula and Cindy’s disbelief. If she was gonna be this noisy, they would make sure to take baths at different times from now on.

 

**Part of me kind of wants to try and make _Sugar Fairies_ just to shed more light on Sivam… but I’m not all concerned. So, what’d you think of the New Hyrule Arc? How was Mandy’s development, who was your favorite Boogey Pirate? We’ve got three Emperors down, but one to go: next up is _Warriors of Sky_ , starring Captain Skaios!**


End file.
